The father of the suspected Highland Park, Illinois, mass shooter has been charged in connection with the shooting that claimed seven lives.
The suspect’s father, Bobby Crimo Jr., took a “reckless and unjustified risk” when he signed the Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card for his son to apply for gun ownership, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said at a news conference Friday. At the time, his son was 19 and could not get a FOID card on his own; 18-, 19- and 20-years-olds were required to have parent or guardian authorization, Rinehart said.
“Parents and guardians are in the best position to decide whether their teenagers should have a weapon. They are the first line of defense. In this case, the system failed,” he said.
Crimo Jr. is facing seven counts of reckless conduct causing great bodily harm.
His son, Robert Crimo III, is accused of killing seven people and injuring dozens of others in the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb this summer. He pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and attempted murder.
Robert E. Crimo III, arrives before Judge Victoria A. Rossetti for his second hearing in Lake County court, Nov. 1, 2022, in Waukegan, Ill.
Nam Y. Huh/AP, FILE
Crimo Jr.’s attorney George M. Gomez said in a statement Friday that the charges were “baseless and unprecedented.”
“This decision should alarm every single parent in the United States of America who according to the Lake County State’s Attorney knows exactly what is going on with their 19 year old adult children and can be held criminally liable for actions taken nearly three years later,” Gomez said in a statement.
The attorney added that his client “continues to sympathize and feel terrible for the individuals and families who were injured and lost loved ones this past July 4th, but these charges are politically motivated and a distraction from the real change that needs to happen in this country.”
Bobby Crimo Jr. told ABC News in July that he was “shocked” by the shooting.
“I had no — not an inkling, warning — that this was going to happen,” he said.
Robert E. Crimo III’s father Robert Crimo Jr., right, and mother Denise Pesina attend to a hearing for their son in Lake County court on Aug. 3, 2022, in Waukegan, Ill.
Nam Y. Huh/AP, Pool, FILE
“I filled out the consent form to allow my son to go through the process that the Illinois State Police have in place for an individual to obtain a FOID card,” Crimo told ABC News this summer. “They do background checks. Whatever that entails, I’m not exactly sure. And either you’re approved or denied, and he was approved.”
“Signing a consent form to go through the process … that’s all it was,” Crimo said of his involvement. “Had I purchased guns throughout the years and given them to him in my name, that’s a different story. But he went through that whole process himself.”
Crimo said his son purchased the weapons with his own money and registered them in his own name.
Crimo Jr. surrendered to police and is set to appear in bond court on Saturday.
The Illinois State Police changed its rules for FOID card applications in the wake of the shooting.
ABC News’ Alex Perez and Ivan Pereira contributed to this report.
