The man who admitted to a 2022 mass shooting at a suburban Chicago Independence Day parade was set to be sentenced Thursday, a day after survivors and witnesses gave emotional testimony about how their lives have changed since he killed seven people and hurt dozens more.
Robert E. Crimo III, 24, changed his plea to guilty last month, mere moments before the start of his trial. His case has progressed slowly, in part because of his erratic behavior. That history continued Wednesday when he refused to attend court despite a judge's previous warnings that the case would proceed without him.
