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Robert Crimo III pleaded guilty to multiple charges for killing seven people and injuring dozens more in a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park in 2022.
Crimo decided to change his plea just as his trial was about to begin. He was facing 69 counts of murder and attempted murder. He faces life in prison and will be sentenced on April 23.
Crimo's father, Robert Crimo Jr. previously pleaded guilty to seven felony counts of reckless conduct for agreeing to sponsor his then 19-year-old son's gun license application despite knowing he had a collection of knives and had made violent threats in the past. He was sentenced to 60 days behind bars.
After Crimo was arrested, he admitted to committing the massacre. Police said he was planning another shooting in a nearby town before he was caught.
Crimo's sudden change of heart brings an end to the trial, which had several twists and turns. Last June, Crimo was expected to accept a plea deal with prosecutors, but rejected it at the last minute. Then he fired his public defenders and was granted permission to represent himself in the case. A month later, he filed a request to reinstate his public defenders, which was granted by the judge.