Highland Park Shooting Defendant's Dad Doesn't Regret Sponsoring FOID

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The father of the man charged in the Highland Park Independence Day parade shooting said he does not regret sponsoring his teenage son's gun license application a few months after police investigated reports that the then-19-year-old had made violent threats.

Bob Crimo said his son was raised well with "good morals," telling ABC News that he does not know what would have motivated him to open fire on paradegoers, leaving seven people dead and wounding more than three dozen others.

Crimo, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2019, is the father of Robert "Bobby" Crimo III, who was ordered held without bond Wednesday at his first court appearance on murder charges stemming from Monday's massacre on Central Avenue.

Crimo said that he had not been involved with his son's firearm collection after he signed a parental affidavit endorsing his application for a Firearm Owners Identification, or FOID, card, telling ABC that Crimo III had purchased all the guns with his own money and registered them all in his own name.

“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 the network. “They do background checks. Whatever that entails, I’m not exactly sure. And either you’re approved or denied, and he was approved.”

Crimo told ABC he does not regret signing the form and is not worried he could face legal consequences, saying his son bought the guns himself and that he "had not an inkling" the July 4 mass shooting would happen.

In order for someone under 21 to buy a gun in Illinois, their parent or legal guardian has to sign an affidavit that says, among other things: "I hereby give my consent for this minor applicant to possess and acquire firearms and firearm ammunition and understand I shall be liable for any damages resulting from the minor applicant’s use of firearms or firearm ammunition."

According to police, Crimo III had attempted suicide in April 2019. In September 2019, police conducted a well-being check at his home after getting a report that he had threatened a family member.

Officers briefly took custody of 16 knives, a dagger and a samurai sword that were being kept in the teen's closet at the time. His father picked them up a few hours later, according to a police report.

Highland Park police submitted a "clear and present danger" report to Illinois State Police, and the state police officer who reviewed the report determined it was more likely than not that Crimo III did not pose a threat to himself or others, according to ISP Director Brendan Kelly, who said state police also had insufficient evidence to seek a firearm restraining order against him.

Crimo signed the form for his son to apply for a FOID card in December 2019. He told ABC News that he thought the reported threats were taken out of context.

“It's like just a child's outburst, whatever he was upset about, and I think his sister called the police — I wasn’t living there," Crimo said.

As for his son's output as an amateur musician, which included music videos containing illustrations of gun violence and scenes suggestive of school shootings, Crimo told ABC he saw his son as an artist but did not understand his work and considered it more of "an act."

Authorities said Crimo III purchased five guns between June and September 2020, including a shotgun, two handguns and two rifles — a Smith & Wesson M&P15 found at the scene of the shooting and a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 found inside the car with Crimo III at the time of his arrest.

Law enforcement officials told the Daily Beast that he purchased four of the guns, including the rifle used in the shooting, from a Kentucky-based online retailer and had them shipped to a Lake Villa-based gun dealer.

Under Illinois law, a FOID card remains valid for 10 years and Crimo III was not required to re-apply after turning 21 in September 2021.

Illinois State Police announced there "will be a criminal investigation into Crimo’s culpability" over his sponsorship of the application, according to the ABC report.

Asked to confirm or deny that report, Illinois State Police spokesperson Melany Arnold said the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force is the lead agency investigating on the shooting, and state police are a part of its investigation.

"That criminal investigation includes all aspects of the shooting and anyone’s involvement," Arnold told Patch. "The determination of culpability of any involved party will be decided by prosecutors and the court."

According to prosecutors, Crimo III admitted he wore makeup and donned women's clothing to disguise his facial tattoos, climbed atop a rooftop overlooking the Highland Park July 4th parade and fired 83 shots into the crowd below.

After ditching the rifle and fleeing the scene, he then traveled — armed with his other rifle and about 60 bullets — to Madison, Wisconsin, where he considered carrying out another attack. Instead, he left his phone there and returned to Illinois before being arrested on Route 41 at Westleigh Road just over eight hours after the massacre, authorities said.

Crimo III is due back in court July 28 for a preliminary hearing on seven charges of first-degree murder, a conviction for which would carry a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He is being represented by the Office of the Lake County Public Defender.

Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said he anticipates filing dozens more felony counts in connection with the shooting. FBI Director Christopher Wray said federal charges are also possible for Crimo III.

The elder Crimo is being represented by attorney and Highland Park resident Steve Greenberg, known for representing high-profile clients such as R. Kelly and Drew Peterson. In a social media post, Greenberg said the parents were being fully cooperative with law enforcement.

"The 'system' is trying to make this about parenting. The parents recognize that is a legitimate concern. However, it is important to know the Illinois State Police renewed the gun card when their son turned 21, long before this without any involvement from his father," Greenberg said

"And the bigger question," he added, "that must be answered and resolved, is why are military grade assault weapons available for anyone to purchase?"

Related:

• Evidence Was Insufficient To Deny FOID Card To Crimo, State Police Say
• Parade Shooter Considered Targeting Wisconsin Event After Massacre, Police Say
• Bobby Crimo Charged With 7 Counts Of Murder In Highland Park Shooting
• State Police Say Crimo's Father Sponsored Son's FOID Card Application
• Bobby Crimo Previously Threatened Suicide, 'To Kill Everyone': Authorities