Robert Crimo III, the person suspected of opening fire on the July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven and injuring over 30, has been charged in connection to the incident. 

Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart announced them during a press briefing on Tuesday. 

Rinehart noted that the seven counts of first-degree murder are “the first of many charges that will be filed against Mr Crimo”, stating that additional charges could be expected in the days ahead. 

“But these seven counts of first-degree murder will lead to a mandatory life sentence, should he be convicted, without the possibility of parole”, he added. 

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Crimo was arrested on Monday after the authorities launched a manhunt. Also known as Awake the Rapper, Crimo has some music out on various platforms like Spotify. 

Authorities don’t believe that anyone apart from the 21-year-old was involved. Cops retrieved a high-powered rifle from the scene and there were reports that the shooter had taken a sniper position. 

Crimo’s shooting has once again opened the doors to debates on gun safety, though Illinois has one of the strongest gun control laws in the nation, and Highland Park in 2013 banned semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. 

A July 4 block party in Gary, Indiana, also turned deadly when gunfire left three dead and seven wounded. 

Also Read | Highland Park shooting: Eyewitness accounts

This year, the US has already extreme gun violence, especially in the Buffalo killing and the Robb Elementary School shootout at Uvalde, Texas. Since then, President Joe Biden signed a gun law trying to ensure greater safety in the nation. 

Illinois for its part is one of the first Midwestern states to have banned ghost guns, which are untraceable weapons. However, its neighbouring state Indiana has laxer gun laws, and Illinois often sees guns crossing state lines. Over the July 4 weekend itself, Chicago saw 55 gunshot incidents, with many of them turning fatal.