• Robert Crimo III was sentenced to seven life sentences with no chance of parole.
• The sentencing follows a 2022 mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.
• Crimo pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of attempted murder.
• Survivors and relatives of victims gave emotional testimonies during the sentencing hearing.

Robert Crimo III, who fatally shot seven people during a 2022 Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, was sentenced to seven consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole on April 24, 2025. In addition, he received a 50-year sentence for each of the 48 counts of attempted murder relating to those injured in the attack. Judge Victoria Rossetti described Crimo as “irretrievably depraved” and stated, “No sentence can ever change the events of July 4,” emphasizing the irreversible loss experienced by the victims' families, according to BBC and Reuters.

Crimo, who had previously pleaded guilty to 69 charges including first-degree murder, avoided a trial by entering his plea moments before it was set to begin. His action came after prolonged legal proceedings characterized by his unpredictable behavior. Notably, he did not appear at his sentencing hearing, provoking strong reactions from victims' families who referred to him as "cowardly" for skipping the proceedings, according to India Times, ABC News, and LA Times.

The six victims who lost their lives in the shooting were identified as Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin and Irina McCarthy, aged 37 and 35 respectively. Survivors described the lasting impact of the trauma they endured, with some expressing feelings of emptiness and sadness that permeated their lives since the attack. Erica Weeder, who was injured during the shooting, noted the profound psychological effects it has had on her, stating, “I lost some of my deep keel,” according to India Times, NY Times, and BBC.

Crimo's previous intent to commit the shooting appears to have been premeditated, as he reportedly planned the attack years prior to executing it. Following the incident, he was apprehended after fleeing the scene and was charged with multiple counts, including using a rifle to carry out the attack. He will now spend the rest of his life in prison, with no chance for parole, a fact recognized by Lake County state’s attorney Eric Rinehart during the closing statements of the trial, according to ABC News and LA Times.