July Fourth parade mass shooting survivors remember victims as gunman skips sentencing hearing

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — Survivors recounted the horror a gunman caused when he fired dozens of bullets at a 2022 Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, detailing during a sentencing hearing for the man on Wednesday how they fled, hid inside businesses or treated the wounded packed into an emergency room.

But the gunman who killed seven people and injured dozens more didn’t hear any of it.

Robert E. Crimo III, 24, refused to appear in court or watch from jail, authorities said.

Crimo pleaded guilty last month, an abrupt reversal moments before his trial was set to begin after years of unpredictable legal proceedings.

His absence didn’t stop some survivors or family members of the dead from addressing him in statements detailing their physical or emotional pain since the attack. Some described feeling empty or deeply sad; others said they now fear public gatherings. But most used their time simply to remember the people killed.

“You took my mom,” said Leah Sundheim, the only child of Jacquelyn Sundheim. “I will never be able to summarize how simply extraordinary she was, and how devastating and out of balance my life is without her.”

Prosecutors also presented evidence including parts of a lengthy videotaped confession during the Lake County courthouse hearing, which is scheduled to resume Thursday.

“It went from watching a parade to utter chaos,” testified Dana Ruder Ring, who escaped with her husband and three kids. “We just had to keep going. We just knew that staying still was not a safe idea, and we were terrified.”

Her husband frantically searched for the parents of a child covered in blood while seeing “bodies still smoking on the ground,” Ruder Ring said.

She learned later that the boy’s parents, Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, had been killed.

In a recording of his confession, which defense attorneys tried to have thrown out, a blank-faced Crimo slumped in a chair, his arms crossed, as he said he briefly reconsidered the attack because of a problem with the gun, but he fixed the weapon.

“I walked up the stairs, jumped on the roof and opened fire,” he said.

Crimo was calm and cavalier, even laughing and joking, said Brian Bodden, a Highland Park police officer.

“He was never serious, no remorse,” Bodden testified, adding that Crimo was clear that he intended to kill people. He said Crimo had planned the shooting for years.

Crimo said he tried to avoid children, but it was impossible in the crowd. He gave a cryptic reason for the attack, saying he felt like a sleepwalker.

“I don’t even think I really wanted to," he said.

Prosecutors recreated the horror of the day for the upscale community of about 30,000 people north of Chicago.

In one video, a marching band played “You're a Grand Old Flag” before shots were fired. Musicians carrying instruments ran as emergency sirens blared, fleeing along with other attendees.

Many cried during the testimony, while others put their arms around each other.

Retired Highland Park Police Commander Gerry Cameron said he ran toward what sounded like fireworks or a car backfiring when he saw people hurt and others fleeing. He described later helping people who were hiding in businesses.

“They were reluctant to come out," he said. “They were horrified.”

Crimo fired from a roof, leaving behind 83 shell casings, authorities said.

Emergency room Dr. Jeremy Smiley escaped the parade while carrying his daughter, got his family to safety and went to the hospital.

“The number of shots, it was just clear that whatever this was, it was going to be bad,” he said in court.

He described caring for a child, later identified as the youngest victim, Cooper Roberts, as injured people filled emergency room beds and lined the hallways. Other doctors kept showing up to help.

Meanwhile, authorities collected evidence in the deserted downtown. Bodies were covered in tarps.

“It was pretty eerie, almost postapocalyptic," testified Marc Recca of the FBI.

Crimo injured 48 people and killed seven, including the McCarthys and Sundheim; Katherine Goldstein, 64; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69.

Some survivors described how they now hate loud noises or are paranoid, scanning for threats around them.

Keely Roberts, whose 8-year-old son Cooper Roberts is paralyzed from the waist down, called Crimo “cowardly” for not attending.

“You will not get my sad stories," she said. “You have no power over my life.”

John Straus, the son of Stephen Straus, said the shooting haunts him.

“There’s no closure, no sense to be made of it,” Straus said. “It is an open wound in our hearts that we will have to nurse forever.”

Sheila Gutman was shot in the foot and described her intense recovery, including numerous surgeries.

“The aftermath inflicts a second wound that continues to bleed, a second kind of violence,” she said in court.

Crimo will be sentenced for 21 counts of first-degree murder — three counts for each person killed — and 48 counts of attempted murder. Each first-degree murder count carries a maximum life sentence in Illinois.

The case has moved slowly, in part because Crimo backed out of a plea deal, fired his public defenders and reversed his decision to represent himself. He signed his name and Donald Trump’s when he waived his right to trial.

Crimo has previously skipped court, including parts of jury selection, despite a judge's warnings that the case would still move forward. Several survivors separately have sued Crimo and gunmaker Smith & Wesson.

Crimo’s parents attended most court proceedings but were absent Wednesday. Robert Crimo Jr., who served less than two months in jail for charges in connection to how his son obtained a gun license, declined to comment Wednesday.

This story has been corrected to show that Cameron described clearing people who were hiding, not Conway.

Elizabeth Turnipseed, right, and Melissa Burke, victim specialist of Lake County State's Attorney, hug after reading a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Cynthia Straus wipes her eyes after reading a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Leah Sundheim, whose mother Jacquelyn was killed in a July 4 shooting, reads a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Elizabeth Turnipseed reacts as she reads a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Elizabeth Turnipseed, top right, and Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Elizabeth Turnipseed, top right, and Victims family members react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Robert Crimo III, who did not appear, seat is empty at the defense table during the sentencing hearing for Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Judge Victoria A. Rossetti, top left, and Robert E. Crimo III's attorney Gregory Ticsay wait for Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Judge Victoria A. Rossetti, center, talks with Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon, left, and Robert E. Crimo III's attorney Gregory Ticsay during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Dr. Jeremy Smiley, left, answers a question from Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Robert Crimo III, who did not appear, seat is empty at the defense table during the sentencing hearing for Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Robert Crimo III, who did not appear, seat is empty at the defense table during the sentencing hearing for Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Robert Crimo III, who did not appear, seat is empty at the defense table during the sentencing hearing for Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Robert Crimo III, who did not appear, seat is empty at the defense table during the sentencing hearing for Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Lake Villa Police Department Sergeant Thomas Dvorak answers a question from Lake County Assistant State's Attorney Ben Dillon during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Brian Bodden, detective from City of Highland Park, answers a question from Eric Kalata, an Attorney Chief of Lake County, during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Judge Victoria A. Rossetti, second from right, talks with Lake County, Ill., State's Attorney Eric Rinehart, left, and Robert E. Crimo III's attorney Gregory Ticsay during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025, after pleading guilty in March to killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims, Keely Roberts, left, Sheila Gutman, center, and Dana Ruder Ring react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Judge Victoria A. Rossetti, left, listens to defense attorney Gregory Ticsay during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025, after pleading guilty in March to killing seven people and injuring dozens more when he opened fire on a 2022 Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Ill. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Retired Commander Jerry Cameron from Highland Park Police Department, answers questions from with Lake County, Ill., State's Attorney Eric Rinehart during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims, Keely Roberts, left, Sheila Gutman, center, and Dana Ruder Ring react during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Dana Ruder Ring answers a question from Assistant Lake County state's attorney Lauren Kalcheim-Rothenberg during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Keely Roberts listens to Judge Victoria A. Rossetti during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Victims family and media members wait before the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

Dana Ruder Ring answers a question from Assistant Lake County state's attorney Lauren Kalcheim-Rothenberg during the sentencing hearing for Robert E. Crimo III., at the Lake County Courthouse, in Waukegan, Ill., Wednesday, April 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool)

FILE - Robert E. Crimo III watches the jury selection process during the first day of his trial, accused of opening fire on a suburban Chicago Independence Day parade, killing seven people, at the Lake County Courthouse, Waukegan, Ill., Feb. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, Pool, File)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)