Robert Climo III, accused of opening fire from a rooftop at Fourth of July parade attendees in Highland Park, Illinois, two years ago, killing seven people and wounding dozens, withdrew a proposed plea deal during a dramatic court hearing on Wednesday.
In court, prosecutors said they and Climo had come to a deal in which he would plead guilty to seven counts of murder and 48 counts of aggravated assault, one for each victim listed in the indictment. In return, he would receive a life sentence and agree to have the remaining charges dismissed.
The judge asked Climo, who entered the room in a wheelchair, if he would accept the plea deal, but he did not respond. The defense’s attorney called a recess to further discuss the deal with the defendant and then left the courtroom.
When they returned, the judge again asked Climo if he was willing to go ahead with a plea deal, and he replied, “No.”
The judge tentatively set the trial for Feb. 25, 2025.
Family members and lawyers of the victims expressed their frustration outside court on Wednesday.
“We came to court today wanting to put this behind us,” said Leah Sundheim, the daughter of victim Jacqueline Sundheim. “It’s almost the 4th of July and two years since then. I just wanted to be able to truly mourn my mother without the looming trial. I knew my husband would spend the rest of his life in prison, yet the courtroom once again showed him a blatant disregard for who he is as a person, for everyone, for all of us.”
Climo had previously pleaded not guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder (three for each of the victims who died), 48 counts of attempted murder and 48 counts of aggravated assault with a firearm for each of the victims he was struck by a bullet, bullet fragments or shrapnel, according to prosecutors. Illinois does not have the death penalty, so if convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The charges stem from a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, an affluent suburb north of Chicago, shortly after 10 a.m. Authorities said the gunman positioned himself on a rooftop overlooking the parade route and fired more than 70 rounds from a high-powered rifle “similar to an AR-15” into the crowd, sending hundreds of protesters fleeing in fear.
Investigators say Climo, 21, wore women’s clothing and covered his tattoos with makeup to conceal his identity during the shooting, and then ran off with the crowd fleeing from a rooftop, sparking a search for the suspect.
The suspect was arrested later that day after a short car chase near Lake Forest, where he admitted to carrying out the attack and said he emptied two 30-round magazines before loading a third and continuing to fire, authorities said in court.
Seven people were killed in the attack, five of whom were over the age of 60. The victims were Katherine Goldstein (64), Irina McCarthy (35), Kevin McCarthy (37), Jacqueline Sundheim (63), Steven Strauss (88), Nicholas Toledo Zaragoza (78), and Eduardo Ubaldo (69).
48 more Ten people were injured, including an 8-year-old boy who was shot in the back and left paralyzed.
Lawyers and victims’ families condemn hearing
Brian Casella/AP
Police officers walk down Central Avenue in Highland Park, Illinois, after a gunman opened fire during the 4th of July Independence Day Parade on July 4, 2022.
This isn’t the first time Climo has backtracked on a major legal issue: According to CNN affiliate WLS, Climo asked to represent himself in court in December, then retracted that request and asked for a public defender less than a month later.
Outside court after Wednesday’s hearing, several victims’ families and their lawyers criticized Climo, suggesting they knew in advance that he would back out of the deal.
“He’s an evil, manipulative man who probably knew what he was doing and brought us here today,” Leah Sundheim said.
Karina Mendez, daughter of victim Eduardo Ubaldo, said she was hoping for the best but knew it wasn’t written in stone.
“I knew it might happen,” she said. “He’s played a lot of games.”
Antonio Romanucci, a lawyer representing several victims’ families in civil lawsuits, said Climo was continuing his “reign of terror.”
“This was a calculated act by him to continue the suffering our client is experiencing,” he said.
He also acknowledged that people in court Wednesday had some skepticism about the plea deal.
“I know there was a lot of disappointment and shock in the room when he said ‘no,’ but I think it would be wrong to say we were all totally surprised by him, because we’ve seen him do this before,” he said.
“That was his chance to denounce everyone in the courtroom because he brought them to court.”
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Reinerhart told reporters that his team has been working with victims and survivors to prepare for the hearing.
“We’re here for them, not just today, but until trial begins,” Reinerhart said. “We’re continuing to support them and prepare for trial.”
01:39 – Source: CNN
‘It was like a war zone’: Witness describes terrifying moment gunfire rang out at Highland Park parade
Authorities said the shooter had legally purchased multiple weapons, including the one used in the attack, despite having two previous encounters with police in 2019 related to threats against himself and others.
According to a police report, officers conducted a welfare check on Climo III after he “attempted to commit suicide with a machete” in April 2019. The parents’ lawyers dispute the details of the incident outlined in the police report.
Police returned to the home in September 2019 after a family member reported that Climo III had threatened to kill everyone in the house, according to a police report. Officers confiscated several knives from Climo III’s closet, but his father retrieved them from the police station later that day, according to the report.
Still, Climo III purchased five guns, including two rifles, in the years following his September 2019 police visit, according to Chris Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force.
The gunman’s father, Robert Climo Jr., pleaded guilty last November, months after police reported his son’s suspicious behavior, to seven misdemeanor reckless conduct counts for signing an application for his son’s Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card in 2019. The card is required to purchase a firearm in Illinois, and anyone under the age of 21 must have a parent or guardian’s signature.
As part of the plea agreement, Climo Jr. was sentenced to 60 days in jail and two years of probation and agreed to testify against his son if subpoenaed.
Prior to the shooting, Climo III had been posting music to several major streaming platforms under the alias “Awake the Rapper” and appeared to be creating and posting online music videos featuring ominous lyrics and animated scenes of gun violence.
In the video, titled “Are You Awake?”, cartoon animation shows a stickman shooter resembling the suspect wearing tactical gear and firing a rifle. Climo, who has colorful hair and facial tattoos, says, “I just have to do it. It’s my destiny.”
In January 2023, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed into law a bill banning the sale of assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. The law requires anyone who already owns a semi-automatic rifle to register their ownership. In November 2023, the Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law in a 4-3 decision after a months-long legal battle in which the Supreme Court declined to intervene.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Correction: An earlier version of this story understated the number of people injured in the shooting. The actual number was 48.
