A Lake County Judge set a hearing date of August 28 for attorneys to argue all outstanding motions in preparation for a trial for the Highland Park parade shooter.
Assistant Lake County State’s Attorney Ben Dillon said during the extremely brief hearing Wednesday prosecutors have five motions in limine to present before the court prior to the trial of Robert E. Crimo III in 2025.
Lake County Circuit Court Judge Victoria A. Rossetti agreed to set the hearing date regarding those motions on August 28.
Dillon did not specifically state what the motions were. Motions in limine and generally designed to seek the exclusion of arguments or evidence during a trial.
Crimo was in attendance during the hearing and didn’t say anything, staring straight forward for about two minutes before standing up and leaving the courtroom at adjournment.
Crimo III, 23, of Highwood, faces 21 counts of first-degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm after allegedly opening fire on paradegoers attending the Fourth of July parade near Second Street and Central Avenue in Highland Park on July 4, 2022.
Prosecutors previously said Crimo admitted to “looking down his sights” of his Smith & Wesson M&P 15 semi-automatic rifle before opening fire on the Highland Park crowd.
Crimo told investigators he fired two full 30-round magazines before loading a third 30-round magazine and firing.
Seven people were killed and dozens of others were shot. 83 spent shell casings were recovered at the scene.
In February, the judge officially set Crimo’s trial for February 24, 2025.
The case was previously scheduled for a February 2024 trial after Crimo decided in December to represent himself and demand a speedy trial.
The Lake County Public Defender’s Office was reappointed to the case in January after Crimo backed away from self-representation.
Crimo has been held in the Lake County Jail without bond since July 6, 2022.