State Police questioned over handling of report on alleged Highland Park shooter
By PETER HANCOCK
Capitol News Illinois
phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD – Officials from the Illinois State Police faced questioning Wednesday from Republican lawmakers who said the agency had authority to reject a gun permit application from a man who later allegedly carried out a mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park.
The alleged gunman, Robert Crimo III, is being held without bond on a 117-count indictment for the mass shooting that left seven dead and dozens more injured.
State Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, criticized ISP for claiming that it had no authority to deny Crimo a Firearms Owners Identification, or FOID card, when he applied for one in December 2019, just three months after he had been the subject of a “clear and present danger” report filed by an individual who alleged Crimo had threatened to “kill everyone.”
“This report clearly, by any independent review, would meet the level of preponderance of the evidence,” Curran said. “It is clearly above the 50 percent threshold, more likely than not, that there (was) a threat of violence in that home.”
The questioning came during a meeting of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a legislative panel that has oversight of the administrative rulemaking process.
On Sept. 5, 2019, Highland Park police received a report, believed to be from a juvenile member of the Crimo family, that Crimo had made a threat in the household a few days earlier and that he intended to “kill everyone.” The reporting individual told authorities of being afraid to go home due to the nature of the threat.
When police arrived at the residence, according to the report, they interviewed both Crimo and his mother, Denise M. Pesina. Crimo reportedly admitted to being depressed when he made the statement and admitted having a history of drug use. The reporting officer noted that neither Crimo nor his mother was forthcoming about the language he used when making the threat.
Police then recovered a tin lunch box containing 16 miscellaneous knives along with a 12-inch dagger and a 24-inch Samurai-type blade. The weapons reportedly belonged to Crimo’s father, who did not live in the residence, but were being stored in Crimo’s bedroom closet.
During the interview, Crimo denied that he felt like hurting himself or others.
ISP said in a statement after the July 4 shooting that no arrest was made following the September 2019 incident and that no one, including Crimo’s family, was willing to move forward with a complaint or provide further information on threats or mental health issues that would have allowed law enforcement to take additional action.
Highland Park police then forwarded a copy of the report to ISP, which is responsible for administering the state’s FOID law. But because Crimo did not have a FOID card at the time and had not yet applied to obtain one, ISP discarded the report.
Under the administrative rule in place at the time, ISP was required to maintain records of people who are determined to present a clear and present danger. But the rule also said ISP “shall not maintain a record of those persons who are not determined to present a clear and present danger for these purposes.”
The rule also defined a “clear and present danger” as someone who poses “an actual, impending, or imminent threat of substantial bodily harm to themselves or another person that is articulable and significant” or a person “who will be likely to act in a manner dangerous to public safety or contrary to the public interest if they were granted access to a weapon.”
Curran, however, questioned whether any determination had been made in Crimo’s case, pointing to what he interpreted to be inconsistencies in ISP’s public statements.
He noted that on July 5, the day after the shooting, ISP issued a news release stating that the agency took no action on the report because Crimo did not have a FOID card to revoke or a pending application to deny.
But the following day, Curran noted, ISP issued another release indicating the agency had, in fact, reviewed the Highland Park police report which indicated that officers found no probable cause to arrest Crimo.
“Upon review of the report at that time, the reviewing officer concluded there was insufficient information for a clear-and-present-danger determination,” the release stated.
Curran said the conflicting statements have led to confusion.
“We don’t know if the determination was ever made because you’re not telling us,” Curran said. “You put two different versions out there. I’d like to know which one (is accurate).”
Other Republicans on the panel criticized the Pritzker administration over its handling of the incident.
“The Pritzker administration’s purported review of the FOID card process following the Aurora shooting in 2019 failed to recognize this gap in the interpretation and application of clear-and-present-danger reports submitted to the ISP,” Sen. Donald DeWitte, R-St. Charles, said in a statement. “Had the Pritzker administration done what they said they were going to do, which was to review and make sure laws already on the books were being implemented more effectively, the tragedy in Highland Park might never have occurred.”
But Kelly Griffith, ISP’s acting chief legal counsel, defended the agency’s actions, saying its hands were tied by the rules in place at the time.
“At the time that the clear present danger came to the Illinois State Police in September 2019, the rule would not have allowed us to keep that information,” she said. “The person didn’t have a FOID card. They didn’t have an application on file. And so that report was actually not kept.”
On July 21, ISP published a new emergency rule to make it clear that the agency will maintain records of clear-and-present-danger reports, even if the person does not have a FOID card or pending application.
It also broadens the definition of a clear and present danger to match the definition in statute, which does not require that the person pose an “ impending, or imminent threat” or that the threat be “articulable and significant.”
State agencies are allowed to issue emergency rules under some circumstances, but they are still subject to JCAR review and can stay in effect for only 150 days before they either expire or are replaced with permanent rules. ISP has indicated it intends to submit permanent rules, which will also be subject to public comment and further review by JCAR.
JCAR did not issue an objection to the emergency rule Wednesday, meaning it is allowed to remain in place through the 150-day window.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government that is distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
Capacity crowd speaks out against Evergreen Park dispensary
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Additional chairs had to be brought out to seat an overflow crowd of Evergreen Park residents who attended a meeting April 15 regarding a proposed cannabis dispensary for the village. And many who were in attendance voiced their opposition to having a dispensary in Evergreen Park. Most of the people cited…
Countryside puts dog park on hold, will require leashes in two parks
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The city of Countryside has put on hold building a dog park, but canines and their owners are still in store for a treat. The city council has unanimously approved a plan to permit dogs in City Park and Countryside Park this year. Previously, they were not allowed in the…
Bridgeview approves auto repair shop
Spread the loveMoves up time for May 1 village board meeting By Steve Metsch Bridgeview is getting a new automotive repair shop. The village board at its April 17 matinee meeting approved a special use permit that will allow a repair shop at 9010 S. Beloit Ave. There was no discussion among trustees. The board…
Summit Fire Department blood drive draws a crowd
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Summit Fire Department, along with the Village of Summit, and the Argo Summit Lions Club held a blood drive this past Saturday, and it drew a crowd that even impressed the American Red Cross. It took place from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. with non-stop donors walking through the…
Hodgkins toasts village businesses
Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan Hodgkins Mayor Ernest Millsap and the Board of Trustees celebrated the village’s businesses at its annual Business Appreciation Breakfast on April 10. Over 100 people gathered at the Hodgkins Administration Center for a hearty breakfast hosted by the village. Representatives from many businesses that are located in or that work…
Pickleball courts coming to Palos Park
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva There will finally be outdoor pickleball in Palos Park. In a process that went longer than anticipated, the Palos Park Village Council was able give the green light to get a pickleball project started on the Village Green. The council voted April 8 to award the contract to U.S. Tennis…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
Spread the loveFrom staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at…
Donate teddy bears to our local police
Spread the love. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . Have you ever seen the 1955 movie The Night of the Hunter? The children in this movie show such bravery and acceptance in what life has thrown at them. They have to deal with unimaginable events and sadness. …
Boy Scouts collecting tattered flags for disposal
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796 . Goodbye April, hello May. Our American Flag, the symbol of our country, should always be treated with respect. But after bearing Chicago’s brutal winters and hot blazing summers along with being in the…
Neighbors
Swanson scores, assists in Red Stars’ win over Reign
Spread the loveThe Red Stars improved to 3-1-1 by beating the Seattle Reign, 2-1, on the road on April 21. Mallory Swanson had an assist on an Ali Schlegel goal in the fourth minute and added a goal of her own in the 31st minute. Swanson missed last season after sustaining a knee injury on…
Red Stars’ Tatumn Milazzo has top Save of the Week
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.” The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13. The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie. Milazzo laughed…
Men’s College Volleyball | Saint Xavier captures fifth straight conference tourney title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The SXU men’s volleyball team won its fifth straight Chicagoland Christian Athletic Conference tournament championship after a 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of Calumet College of St. Joseph on April 20 at the Shannon Center. Jan Lopuch had 10 kills and nine digs for the Cougars. With the win, the…
College Baseball | Saint Xavier upsets Eastern Illinois
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier baseball team picked up a win that its players are going to remember for a long time. The Cougars stunned Eastern Illinois, 4-2, on April 17 in Charleston. It was the Cougars’ first win over the Panthers, a Division I program, since 2005. Lyons grad Troy…
St. Laurence hoops teams top honor roll
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area basketball teams proved to be strong on the court and in the classroom this season, and St. Laurence was the leader of the pack. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association compiled a list of the top academic teams, and the area did well. In Division 3 girls, St. Laurence…
Chicago Bears recognize St. Rita senior with All-Star award
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chances are good that few outside of St. Rita football circles know who David Lyle is. With good reason. Lyle missed his senior season for the Mustangs last fall after sustaining a serious knee injury. He even postponed having knee surgery so that he could take care of his…
Pols want 63rd St. armory for new police HQ
Spread the love. Porfirio, Guerrero-Cuellar push plan in Springfield . By Tim Hadac Any plans the Chicago Department of Aviation may have had for the vacant Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., may be grounded, at least for now. Several elected officials are eyeing the parcel as the headquarters of a new…
Her back against the wall, Stacy needs help
Spread the love. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Clearing and Garfield Ridge have earned a reputation as a place where people look out for each other—and that sometimes means caring for each other in times of need. Today, I want to talk about one such person, who sure could use…