The tattoo-covered psycho accused of killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on Fourth of July parade-goers near Chicago in 2022 pleaded guilty Monday — just moments before opening arguments in his murder trial were set to kick off.
Robert E. Crimo III, 23, withdrew his earlier not-guilty plea for the slew of murder and attempted murder charges over the Highland Park shooting.
Crimo, dressed in a dark suit, sat silently beside his lawyers in the Lake County circuit courtroom.
Prosecutors had initially charged him with 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — as well as 48 counts of attempted murder. The less serious 48 counts of aggravated battery were dropped by prosecutors before jury selection began last week.
The 48 lesser counts of aggravated battery were dropped by prosecutors before jury selection began last week.
Crimo, who is now certain to spend the rest of his life behind bars, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23.
His trial, which started Feb. 24, was expected to last about a month and include testimony from survivors of the Independence Day massacre.
Prosecutors had submitted thousands of pages of evidence, as well as hours of a videotaped interrogation during which cops said Crimo confessed to the bloodshed.
Authorities said Crimo had perched on a rooftop before firing off dozens of rounds at the crowds below — sending scores of panicked families fleeing.
His change in plea came after several false starts in the high-profile case due to the erratic, unpredictable behavior of the killer.
Crimo had earlier rejected a plea bargain, fired and rehired public defenders and refused to leave his cell on the day of two scheduled hearings.
Separately, Crimo’s father is also on the hook for allowing his son to access the murder weapon used in the massacre.
Robert Crimo Jr. pleaded guilty in 2023 to seven misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct, partly for sponsoring his son’s gun license application in 2019 — despite the then-teen having threatened to “kill everyone.”
With Post wires
