Survivors of July Fourth parade shooting have mixed feelings about gunman’s absence from sentencing

WAUKEGAN Ill AP Grieving relatives and survivors of a mass shooting at a July Fourth parade recounted harrowing details for hours in a packed courtroom this week telling a judge that the attack has done long-lasting damage But the man who admitted to diligently planning the shooting and was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for killing seven people and wounding remained out of sight in his jail cell The long-awaited sentencing hearing for Robert E Crimo III brought together dozens of people whose lives were torn apart by the shooting in suburban Highland Park north of Chicago Even as they were accustomed to Crimo s erratic behavior skipping hearings firing attorneys and pleading guilty moments before trial survivors noted his absence set off a range of emotions including relief anger and closure I don t have to think about him anymore I don t have to worry about him anymore declared Liz Turnipseed who was seriously injured in the shooting and now relies on a cane I don t need to see his face I know what he looks like Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti handed down seven sentences of life in prison for Crimo as prosecutors requested for the first-degree murder charges after hearing evidence prosecutors prepared for trial and hours of emotional testimony She also sentenced Crimo to years for counts of attempted murder There s no possibility of parole This court has absolutely no words that could adequately describe and capture the horror and pain that was inflicted on July th the judge noted She added that Crimo is irretrievably depraved permanently incorrigible irreparably corrupt and beyond any rehabilitation Dozens were wounded in the shooting as Crimo fired rounds in seconds according to executives The injured ranged in age from their s to an -year-old boy who was left paralyzed from the waist down Particular survivors called Crimo cowardly for not attending while others commented seeing him caused anxiety One cited their faith in forgiving him Another revealed he hoped Crimo suffered each day behind bars Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering who marched in the parade declared Crimo s absence was definitely helpful The fact that the offender wasn t there gave people almost the space to be more relaxed and more secure sharing their individual stories she communicated reporters after the sentencing Several survivors nodded as they listened to others speak while one man clutched a stress ball Countless cried Prosecutors argued Crimo was fully in control of his actions They evidenced clips of Crimo s video-taped confession that hadn t been viewed before in court In the interview which defense attorneys tried to have thrown out a blank-faced Crimo slumped in a chair with arms crossed He detailed his plan to open fire from the roof and offered cryptic metaphors for his motivations in the killings At one point he recounted police You have to crack a minimal eggs to make an omelet The proceedings have been marked by unpredictable behavior including Thursday when Rossetti briefly paused the hearing Bureaucrats at first announced Crimo had inquired to be brought to court Defense attorneys later clarified that his request was about an issue unrelated to the sentencing Crimo declined to offer a announcement to the court through his attorneys The judge ordered consecutive sentences and Crimo will die in prison his citizens defender Gregory Ticsay commented He s inevitably known that he was facing life in prison Ticsay noted He has spared this society the lengthy trial While not unprecedented it s remarkable for defendants to skip trial especially sentencing but constitutionally they have the right not to attend revealed David Erickson a former state appellate judge who teaches at Chicago-Kent College of Law Often in violent cases defendants will explain themselves or profess innocence before sentencing However prosecutors explained Crimo didn t show any regret He has sent forth an ocean of pain Lake County State s Attorney Eric Rinehart He was cavalier He was arrogant He was uncaring He was radiating He was chortling He was ready with a metaphor He was merciless The seven people killed were Katherine Goldstein Jacquelyn Sundheim Stephen Straus Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza Eduardo Uvaldo and married couple Kevin McCarthy and Irina McCarthy