(The Center Square) – The criminal trial against the Highland Park, Illinois, shooter ended Monday with a guilty plea from Robert Crimo, III. But, the civil cases against Illinois State Police for giving Crimo a gun owner ID continues.
Seven people died and dozens were injured in the shooting that took place on Independence Day, 2022. Crimo was arrested shortly after and charged with murder and attempted murder.
Just as the jury trial was set to commence Monday, Crimo pleaded guilty. He faced 21 counts of first degree murder, as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. He will be sentenced on April 23, and most likely will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Illinois legislators used the Highland Park shooting as one of the reasons they moved forward with a ban on more than 170 semi-automatic firearms and magazines over certain capacities. The 2023 Protect Illinois Communities Act continues to be challenged in the courts. Highland Park had their own local semi-auto ban in place when the shooting occurred.
Crimo had purchased the firearms legally in 2020, having been issued a Firearm Owners’ ID card by Illinois State Police in 2019. His father, Robert Crimo, Jr., a former mayoral candidate, was charged in connection with how his son obtained a FOID card. Someone under the age of 21 must get their parents or guardian to sponsor their applications.
ISP faces around 29 claimants in separate lawsuits through the Illinois Court of Claims for issuing Crimo the FOID card, despite red flags.
“ISP should have denied the [Firearm Owners ID] card application made by Crimo,” the claimants charge in their filing to the Illinois Court of Claims. “That was used to purchase firearms, including the one purchased on Feb. 7, 2020, to perpetuate the shooting on July 4, 2022. ISP approved the transaction even though it knew or should have known Crimo had wrongfully been issued a FOID card.”
The day after the 2022 Independence Day shooting, Lake County Sheriff Deputy Chief Chris Covelli disclosed local police responded to Crimo’s home for a domestic violence call in September 2019, but didn’t make an arrest.
“But nonetheless, Highland Park Police did notify Illinois State Police of that,” Covelli said during a news conference about the shooting and the suspect.
There was at least one other visit by police to Crimo’s home. Covelli told media then that local police sent ISP a clear and present danger report, something that plaintiffs suing the state in the court of claims said should have prevented ISP from issuing Crimo a FOID card he used to purchase firearms.
In 2022, ISP Director Brendan Kelly said state police had nothing else to act on to deny a FOID application, like a mental health prohibitor or a criminal record.
“All the things that are under the law that would be able to help us stop from issuing a [FOID] card, none of those were present at the time,” Kelly said during a virtual news conference in 2022.
ISP later changed internal rules to allow for clear and present danger reports to be elevated when reviewing FOID applications.
Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said in 2022 he supported the new emergency rules, but said ISP always had access to clear and present danger reports.
“There’s nothing in their old rule that required disposing of that report until a determination was made that their standard wasn’t met,” Curran said. “It’s still very vague and murky as to what happened here. We need a clear answer.”
About 29 claimants in separate lawsuits through the Court of Claims are seeking at least $2 million apiece in damages for a total of $58 million. They allege willful and wanton conduct by Illinois State Police that caused the claimants wrongful death, personal injuries and/or emotional distress for which compensatory damages are sought.
The Court of Claims administrator’s office has said any lawsuits against the state are to be a last resort, meaning that any lawsuits against other defendants in other jurisdictions must be exhausted. That could lead to the cases being placed on a general continuance status for other cases to be adjudicated and settled.
