Parents of Highland Park Shooter Hire R. Kelly's Lawyer While Bobby Crimo Gets a Public Defender

Highland Park shooter, Robert Crimo III, also known as Bobby Crimo, has been appointed a public defender, while his parents, Robert Crimo Jr. and Denise Pesina, have hired Steve Greenberg, the high-profile criminal defense lawyer whose firm handled the sexual abuse case of celebrity R. Kelly.

While prosecutors have yet to indicate if charges will be brought forward against the mass shooter's parents, Robert and Denise decided to retain Greenberg, a Highland Park local, as they have been under scrutiny. According to NBC News, authorities have learned that the father sponsored his son's gun acquisition and permit in 2019 because Bobby was still underage.

Robert allegedly signed the gun's affidavit despite Bobby previously threatening to kill himself or a family member during one incident that the father described as a "childish outburst." The affidavit has a liability and culpability clause that the investigators are currently reviewing.

Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said that Robert could be subject to civil litigation. However, it's still early to tell what will happen to the parents due to the ongoing investigations.

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"Not the parents' fault"

Greenberg, however, said that public perception is making his clients the scapegoats when the most glaring issue is the failure to curb gun violence. The lawyer told ABC News that the parents are also distraught about the Highland Park shooting. They have friends in the parade who also lost a family member.

The defender reiterated that what happened was solely the fault of the son "who was allowed by the system" to buy military-grade assault rifles. He insisted that this is not a parenting issue, adding that the purchase of these types of weapons should be scrutinized as well.

Greenberg interjected that Robert, who once ran for mayor in Highland Park, was unaware of Bobby's threats and collection of knives, daggers, and swords when he was a teenager; thus, he signed the affidavit. However, the Illinois State Police had records of the Highland Park police's investigation into the younger Crimo. They even returned the weapons to Robert himself after the investigation.

Despite this, Bobby was not arrested, flagged, nor regarded as someone who could be a "clear and present danger" to the public. Because he had no police records and the threatened family member did not file a complaint, Bobby was cleared to get a state firearm owner's identification (FOID) after his father signed the affidavit. Bobby would then get three more FOIDs for his other gun purchases.

Bobby Crimo held without bond

Meanwhile, Bobby made his first appearance in court on Wednesday, July 6, with public defender Gregory Ticsay. Judge Theodore Potkonjak ordered to detain Bobby at the Lake County jail without bond because he was a threat to the community.

CBS News reported that Bobby's parents hired private defense attorney Tom Durkin for their son. However, Durkin declared during the first court appearance that he was stepping back due to a conflict of interest.

Days after Greenberg had been speaking to the press on behalf of Crimos, the lawyer announced on Twitter Thursday evening, July 7, that he was also no longer representing the parents, also citing a conflict. The couple has hired George Gomez as their new counsel.

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