Only in America would the day meant to celebrate our country be met with yet another act of senseless gun violence. During a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois, seven innocent people were killed and more than two dozen were injured. According to CNN, Robert E. Crimo III, 21, is being charged with seven counts of first-degree murder with dozens more charges expected to follow— some of which will include attempted murder, aggravated discharge, and aggravated battery. Investigators believe the gunman planned the attack for several weeks, wearing women’s clothing during the shooting to conceal his identity and blend in with the crowd.
Christopher Covelli, spokesperson for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, revealed to CNN that the gunman had two prior encounters with law enforcement— one for an attempted suicide and another for threatening to “kill everyone” with his collection of knives. During the latter incident, Highland Park police removed 16 knives, a dagger, and a sword that were later returned to Crimo’s father. Highly suspect then is how Crimo was able to obtain five firearms legally not long after this threat to “kill everyone.” According to another CNN report, Crimo’s father, who sponsored his son’s purchase of the firearms (including the one used in this mass shooting) argues that he is not to blame for this carnage and wants his son to serve a ‘long’ sentence.
Republican response to the shooting seemed to follow their typical protocol— blame everything but the guns. Rolling Stone highlights some especially ridiculous remarks. Illinois gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey briefly offered thoughts and prayers before encouraging everyone to “move on and celebrate freedom.” Marjorie Taylor Greene (the same sitting congresswoman who claimed the California wildfires were started by a laser beamed in from space by the Jews), after suggesting that Democrats orchestrated the shooting in an attempt to push gun control laws, blamed Big Pharma for antidepressants and SSRIs. Republican House candidate J.R. Majewski essentially declared that Americans losing their lives is the price we have to pay to protect our 2nd Amendment rights.
The day before, Denmark was dealing with a tragedy of its own. In a Copenhagen mall, a shooting left three people dead. Representative Lauren Boebert exploited this devastation— claiming that this shooting in Denmark, a country with some of the strictest gun laws in Europe, proves that gun laws do not stop mass shootings. Considering that Denmark hasn’t had a mass shooting since 2015 and over 300 mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. just since the start of 2022, the statistics would beg to differ.
No one claims that gun laws will entirely prevent gun violence, but they will, without a doubt, decrease it. You would think saving lives would be a bit more important than a campaign staple and funding, but that’s just me.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
CIMA Law Group Blog 