Illinois man rejects deal to plead guilty to 7 murder charges in shooting at 2022 July Fourth parade

Associated Press

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — The man accused of opening fire at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago in 2022 has rejected a deal requiring him to plead guilty to seven charges of murder in the attack. Twenty-three-year-old Robert E. Crimo III on Wednesday rejected the deal that prosecutors said would have come with a life sentence. Crimo’s public defenders left court without speaking with reporters. The attack killed seven people and wounded more than 40. Family members of people killed said they hoped Wednesday would bring some closure ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Instead, they plan to refocus on a trial, which is set for February.