Father of Highland Park massacre suspect files for bankruptcy

The father of the Highland Park massacre suspect has filed for bankruptcy as he faces mounting legal costs related to the 2022 Fourth of July parade shooting.

Robert Crimo Jr. owes more than $1.6 million to more than 50 creditors, according to his October filing in federal bankruptcy court.

That total does not include the potential damages he could face in a dozen pending civil lawsuits from parade shooting victims and their families. A bank has already foreclosed on his Highland Park property.

Prosecutors say his son, Robert Crimo III, fired an assault rifle from a rooftop on July 4, 2022, killing seven people and wounding 48 more.

Crimo Jr.’s income has dried up, and he reported just over $200 in his bank accounts. He reported making $6,793 in 2023, far less than the $70,400 he reported in 2022, and $72,678 in 2021. He recently worked for three months at a Goodwill in Milwaukee, according to the filing.

His debts include a $2,800 unpaid dental bill, more than $2,600 in unpaid tickets in Chicago, thousands in unpaid utility bills and an unpaid car loan.

The largest chunk of debt is corporate loans totaling more than $1.4 million. Crimo Jr. once owned the now-closed Bob’s Pantry & Deli in Highland Park, but it’s unclear if the debts are related to that business.

A lawyer representing Crimo Jr. in the bankruptcy filing did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The filing lists “unknown” future costs associated with the dozen civil lawsuits claiming negligence related to the parade shooting.

Crimo Jr. recently completed a 60-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to misdemeanor reckless conduct for signing his underaged son’s gun ownership card, despite knowing his son’s previous homicidal and suicidal statements.

He reported to jail in November wearing a T-shirt reading, “I’m a political pawn,” earning him a rebuke from the judge who threatened him with contempt of court if he broke court rules again.

Crimo Jr.’s son remains in custody at Lake County Jail on more than a hundred felony counts. Crimo III, 23, dismissed his assistant public defenders earlier in December, deciding to represent himself in his criminal case. His first act representing himself was to request a speedy trial, which was set for February 2024.