Accused Highland Park Parade Shooter Crimo Requests Public Defender

WAUKEGAN, IL — The man accused of carrying out the deadliest mass shooting in Illinois on Friday reversed his decision regarding who will defend him moving forward in his upcoming trial, in which he faces charges of killing seven people and injuring 50 July 4 paradegoers in 2022.

Bobby Crimo III, 23, told a Lake County judge on Friday that he is requesting to be represented by a public defender at his upcoming trial in February. Crimo, who faces mandatory life in prison if convicted of just a few of the 117 felony counts he faces after allegedly opening fire at the Highland Park 4th of July parade nearly two years ago, in December stated he wished to represent himself.

However, when asked in Friday’s pre-trial status hearing if he wanted to proceed to trial by representing himself, Crimo – who appeared to have had his hair cut short since his last court appearance — told Circuit Court Judge Victoria Rossetti that he is prepared to move forward but is now asking for the services of three Lake County public defenders.

Rossetti ordered that she will appoint the public defender’s office to represent Crimo, who is scheduled to go to trial on Feb. 26. However, in a statement issued on Friday, Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said he expects the date of trial to be discussed when Crimo appears to court next week.

"Our victim specialists have been in constant communication with the victims and their families throughout the case and will continue to do so," Rinehart said on Friday. "Our office has no comment on the defendant's legal representation."

Crimo is due back in court on Wednesday, at which time he will be joined by his new legal representation. Rossetti said that public defenders will now have time to meet with Crimo ahead of his next court appearance, which comes more than a month before he is set to begin trial.

After his arrest, which followed an hourslong manhunt, Crimo had been represented by the Lake County public defender's office. But at a hearing last month, he informed Rossetti last month that he wanted to ditch his court-appointed representative and proceed as his own attorney.

Rossetti asked Crimo a series of questions to determine whether he understood the potential penalties he faces for a conviction and the fact that he would not receive any special assistance from the court.

In his answers, Crimo disclosed that he had previously been in court "as an observer," but had never attended any college or law school.

Prosecutors and Crimo's public defenders had agreed to a trial date in February 2025. But Crimo's first move as his own attorney led to its abrupt rescheduling.

Crimo invoked his constitutional right to a speedy trial — a move that his public defenders had declined to do in previous hearings — leading the trial date to be moved forward by a year.

Rinehart issued a statement after the hearing last month declaring that prosecutors from his office would be ready for trial in 11 weeks.

Update: Highland Park Parade Shooting Defendant's Trial Date Set For February 2025