https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/highland-park-suspects-father-responsibility-attack-police-said-rcna37093It's still far too early to determine if Robert E. Crimo III's dad could face any criminal culpability for helping the suspect purchase guns before he turned 21.
By Melissa Chan and David K. Li
Highland Park shooting suspect Robert E. Crimo III's father "may have responsibility in certain circumstances" for his son's deadly actions, police said Wednesday while stopping short of tying the dad to any criminal culpability.
The 21-year-old suspect was too young to get a gun permit in 2019 from the state of Illinois, but his father, Bob Crimo Jr., sponsored one for him despite previous threats by his son to harm himself and loved ones, authorities have previously said.
Crimo was still under 21 in 2020 when he purchased the AR-15-style weapon allegedly used in Monday’s attack — a purchase he could only make because his father sponsored his Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) application.
Under an affidavit Crimo’s father signed, he agreed to be “liable for any damages resulting from the minor applicant’s use of firearms or firearm ammunition.”
Asked if the suspect's parents could be in any criminal jeopardy, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said it's too early to tell.
“There’s probably going to be civil litigation. There is ongoing criminal prosecution and criminal investigation," he told reporters Wednesday.
"Issues of culpability, liability, who may have responsibility in certain circumstances, are all part and parcel of that process. Making a conclusionary statement, the Illinois State Police, weighing in on that, is not appropriate."
He added: "That determination and the answer to that question is something that will have to be decided in the court.”
Bob Crimo Jr. is a former mayoral candidate in Highland Park and has voiced support for Second Amendment protections.
He co-signed for his son’s FOID application in December 2019, three months after police visited the family’s home because a relative reported that Crimo had threatened to kill his family members, the Illinois State Police said.
At the time, 16 knives, a sword and a dagger were confiscated, but the suspect wasn’t arrested because family members declined to sign any complaints.
The elder Crimo characterized the incident as a “childish outburst" in an interview with the New York Post.
He insisted he “didn’t do anything wrong" and said he sponsored his son’s application because he thought the firearm use would be limited to the shooting range.
