The person accused of being the gunman in the Highland Park shooting passed several background checks, even after police filed a clear and present danger report in 2019.
The suspect, 21-year-old Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III, passed four background checks between June and September 2020, according to the Illinois State Police.
ATTORNEY RELEASES STATEMENT FROM HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTING SUSPECT’S PARENTS
The news release from the state police claimed no arrests were made or firearms restraining orders filed when the clear and present danger report was filed in September 2019.
“At the time of the September 2019 incident, the subject did not have a FOID card to revoke or a pending FOID application to deny,” read the release. “Therefore, at the time of FOID application review in January of 2020, there was insufficient basis to establish clear and present danger and deny the FOID application.”
Crimo obtained the weapon allegedly used in the shooting legally despite Illinois’s strict gun laws, including red flag laws.
Red flag laws are designed to prevent people who exhibit violent tendencies from having access to obtain guns. The laws were a key component in the bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation President Joe Biden recently signed into law.
Law enforcement officials in Illinois defended the state’s red flag law despite the questions about its effectiveness in a news conference Tuesday.
“Illinois has a strong red-flag law that keeps communities safe and respects everyone’s rights,” Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.
Authorities have charged Crimo with seven counts of first-degree murder and have promised more charges will be filed against the suspect in the coming days and weeks.
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Crimo is suspected of opening fire on an Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb, killing seven people and injuring 54 others.
