Australian former featherweight world champion Johnny Famechon has died in Melbourne at the age of 77.
The boxer’s most memorable victory was his world title win against the Cuban José Legrá at London’s Albert Hall in 1969.
Famechon was inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003 and was the third to be elevated to legendary status in 2012.
Born Jean-Pierre Famechon in France in 1945, he moved to Australia with his family at the age of five.
He has boxed professionally for more than 20 years for 56 wins, six draws and five defeats.
Famechon twice successfully defended his WBC featherweight title against Fighting Harada of Japan, first winning in a controversial points decision, then knocking out his opponent in round 14 six months later.
RIP Johnny Famechon, 77. Entered immortality on January 21, 1969 by defeating Jose Legra at the Albert Hall for the featherweight title.
However his greatest fight – and victory – was overcoming the brain injury and stroke he suffered in 1991. pic.twitter.com/h619mTwnOE
The superintendent of Hanover schools is apologizing about the district using a logo on T-shirts and other materials that resemble a swastika.
The logo was used in a Hanover County Public Schools professional learning conference this week.
T-shirts distributed for a Hanover County Public Schools conference display a logo that resembles a swastika.
courtesy photo
“One of our teachers designed the logo intending for it to represent four hands and arms grasping together — a symbol of unity for our all-county professional learning conference. Nothing more,” Superintendent Michael Gill wrote in a message to families and staff.
“While we are confident that the logo was created without any ill-intent, we understand that this has deeply upset members of our staff and community who see the logo as resembling a swastika.”
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Gill said the administration has stopped distributing the T-shirts that include the logo and staff are working to remove the logo from all conference materials.
“We are deeply sorry for this mistake and for the emotions that the logo has evoked by its semblance to a swastika and, by extension, to the atrocities that were committed under its banner,” Gill wrote.
“Unquestionably, we condemn anything associated with the Nazi regime in the strongest manner possible.”
Gill was not part of developing or reviewing the logo, according to district spokesperson Chris Whitley.
Moving forward, the administration will reevaluate the process by which logos are reviewed, Whitley said.
In a letter on Monday afternoon, the NAACP said that the incident is another example of the urgent need for required training and professional development in diversity, equity and inclusion for all HCPS employees, including the School Board and Board of Supervisors.
“We stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters in calling out this insensitivity,” said the letter signed by Hanover NAACP President Patricia Hunter-Jordan. “We appreciate and respect Superintendent Gill’s apology. However, mere oversight by one individual cannot explain this pattern of a lack of diversity, and the refusal to make substantive changes that would result in the new direction for our schools…”
Last week, the NAACP wrote a letter urging the Hanover Board of Supervisors to “reconsider” some School Board appointments and to require both boards to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training.
Newly appointed School Board member Johnny Redd, who was criticized in the letter in part for previous comments about using a biblical worldview to analyze policies, responded by referring to Hunter-Jordan as an “angry African American lady.” I later apologized.
The Anti-Defamation League’s regional office in Washington said in a statement to the Times-Dispatch on Wednesday that the ADL appreciates Gill’s swift response to the community and his acknowledgment of the impact the incident has on the Jewish community and other marginalized groups targeted by white supremacy and hate.
“We were deeply disturbed when we saw the image, and with antisemitic incidents continuing to reach historic highs across the country and the Commonwealth, it was upsetting for many of our community members to see this symbol — which so closely resembles a swastika — being used for a conference for educators,” the Washington ADL statement said in part.
According to an annual ADL audit, there were 46 antisemetic incidents reported in Virginia last year, a 6% decrease from the 49 incidents reported in 2020 and a 64% increase from the 28 incidents reported in 2019.
Virginia was the state with the 15th-highest number of antisemitic incidents reported in the US last year, according to the ADL.
Can you identify these Richmond-area locations from aerial photos?
Nick Kyrgios has continued his preparation for the last grand slam of the year with a strong win over Tommy Paul at the Washington Open on Thursday (AEST).
The Australian was challenged in just his second singles match since Wimbledon and had to play his best tennis to defeat Paul 6-3 6-4.
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Kyrgios was locked in, firing off 15 aces including one rocket at 218km/h.
He was superb in the clutch moments — saving all four break points he faced and converting three out of four of his own break point opportunities.
Kyrgios was up to his usual antics when he got stuck into the umpire after he was given a code violation for ball abuse.
But the Washington crowd was in his corner and he showed his soft side in the first set, when an elderly fan was hit in the face by a ball that took a wayward bounce into the stands.
Kyrgios went over and handed the spectator one of his towels.
He is chasing his second title in Washington and will next face fourth0seed Reilly Opelka in the round of 16 on Friday.
After pulling out of the singles draw at the Atlanta Open last week with a knee injury, Kyrgios has shown impressive form in his two matches in Washington against Marcos Giron and Paul.
Nick Kyrgios was at his best against Tommy Paul. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
He needed just 59 minutes to beat Giron in straight sets and was his usual entertaining self, engaging with the crowd.
He won the doubles title in Atlanta playing alongside fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis and is a favorite to win the title in Washington ahead of the US Open, which begins later this month.
It wasn’t such good news elsewhere among the Australian contingent in Washington, with Alexei Popyrin and Alex de Minaur losing to Taylor Fritz and Yoshihito Nishioka, respectively.
the Albanian government has passed its climate bill through the lower house with a number of amendments.
The new bill locks in a 43 per cent emissions reduction by 2030 and net zero by 2050 which is an update to Australia’s obligations under the Paris Agreement.
The bill passed through the House of Representatives 89 votes to 55.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks with Greens leader Adam Bandt and crossbench MPs ahead of the vote on the bill. (Alex Ellinghausen)
“I am very pleased that the climate legislation has passed the House of Representatives,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
“This is a fulfillment of a core promise that we made at the election of a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 and a renewable sector that will grow to 82 per cent of our national energy market by 2030.”
The government was able to pass the bill after Greens and Teal independents supported the bill.
But the key crossbenchers say the bill doesn’t go far enough in terms of emissions reductions but agreed to vote to move the debate along and give businesses more certainty around clean energy investments.
The Albanian government has passed its climate bill through the lower house. (AP)
Greens leader Adam Bandt the passing of the climate bill is a “small step to tackling the climate emergency”.
Bandt said the “good work” of the climate bill can be undone by new coal and gas mines.
“If they proceed, they will blow Labor’s weak targets,” he said.
“Even one of those projects, the Beetaloo Basin, would lift Australia’s pollution by up to 13 per cent.
“If 114 of those projects go ahead and Labor is currently backing them, Australia’s pollution could lift by an additional third from where we are now.”
Greens leader Adam Bandt said passing the climate is a good but small first step. (9News)
Meanwhile, independent MP Zali Stegall said earlier the climate bill is “exciting.”
“This is an exciting day, we are locking into law net zero by 2050,” Stegall said.
“The climate wars are nearly over.”
The Coalition refused to back the bill, claiming it “wasn’t necessary.”
“Had the legislation been necessary to commit to higher level targets then I would have wanted to support it in a heartbeat,” shadow minister Simon Birmingham said.
“I would have expected we should back in behind it, but it wasn’t necessary.”
However, one Liberal MP, Bridget Archer, crossed the floor to vote with Labor and the independents in favor of the bill.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he was pleased the climate bill passed the lower house. (9News)
Albanese took aim at the Coalition for not supporting the bill, claiming it was “stuck in time while the world warms around it”.
“They have an opportunity when the legislation gets to the Senate to change their mind and to bring themselves into the 21st century and make themselves relevant to the debate,” Albanese said.
“The impact of climate change is real. We need a response that is real.”
The bill will go to the Senate next month.
‘River City’ wakes to white-out as fog swallows city
Conservative political adviser Alyssa Farah Griffin is rumored to be the newest co-host of ABC’s “The View.”
The move has allegedly already caused a rift among the show’s longtime hosts.
Griffin, 33, would be joining Sara Haines, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin for the daytime talk show’s 26th season, which begins in September.
In 2020, Griffin acted as White House director of strategic communications and assistant to the president in the Trump administration. In 2021, she joined CNN as a political commentator.
Her permanent seat at the talk show’s table isn’t official until Thursday when the show said its new member will be revealed. However, “The View” fans — as well as MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross and comedian Wanda Sykes — have already slammed the network for reportedly hiring Griffin.
Who is Alyssa FarahGriffin?
Born in Los Angeles on June 15, 1989, Griffin is the daughter of two journalists. Her father, Joseph Farah, was the executive news editor at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, then an editor at Northern California’s the Sacramento Union.
Her father is of Syrian and Lebanese descent. In 1997, Joseph founded the far-right conspiracy website WorldNetDaily, known for espousing conspiracy theories — including doubts about President Barack Obama’s US citizenship.
Griffin worked for her father as the “special Washington correspondent” during and after she pursued her bachelor’s degree in journalism and public policy at Patrick Henry College.
Then-White House communications director Alyssa Farah talks to reporters following an interview with FOX outside the West Wing on Oct. 9, 2020.Getty Images
Her mom, Judy — who’s of Ukrainian descent — has worked for HuffPost, the Associated Press and Comstock’s.
Griffin married Justin Griffin, a current MBA candidate at the Stern School of Business at New York University, in Florida in November 2021. He is the grandson of real estate developer and Republican Party activist Samuel A. Tamposi.
While acting as a guest host on “The View” in February, Griffin revealed that her father and stepmother did not attend the couple’s wedding after she publicly spoke up against President Donald Trump.
What jobs has Griffin had?
Griffin started her journalism career writing for World Daily Net. In 2010, she accepted a media internship with Congressman Tom McClintock and had a yearlong stint as an associate producer on “The Laura Ingraham Show.”
During the 2012 presidential election cycle, she traveled across the country as a spokesperson for the College Republican National Committee, speaking on the youth vote.
Two years later, she became Congressman Mark Meadows’ press secretary, then his communications director.
Under Meadows and Jim Jordan, she then became the communications director for the Freedom Caucus in the House of Representatives.
In September 2017, Griffin became Vice President Mike Pence’s special assistant to the president and press secretary.
Two years later, she was appointed as press secretary for the US Department of Defense after the position was vacant for nearly a year. She also served as the director of media affairs during this time.
Alyssa Farah Griffin walks beside then-Vice President Mike Pence. Official White House Photo
She joined the Trump administration as the controversial president’s chief of staff in 2020 and became a White House press secretary that April — a job she later regretted.
Griffin resigned as press secretary on Dec. 3, 2020, which was effective the following day.
She denounced Trump over the Jan. 6 insurrection and joined CNN as a political commentator near the end of 2021.
“At no point in my entire life was my goal to be on TV and be a talking head. I know I for sure said to my husband multiple times, ‘I want to stay off TV because I don’t want to forever be seen as a Trump spokesperson,’ ” she told Vanity Fair about the gig.
“Famous last words,” Griffin added.
What did Griffin do for the Trump administration?
Griffin was an important piece of the president’s coronavirus response, the Washington Post reported.
She reinforced that report during an appearance on “The View,” telling the hosts, “My duty was to serve the American public and to serve the country, and I did my best to do that.
“We were dealing with unprecedented crises in this country, hearing we were going to have a ‘Pearl Harbor a day’ of loss of life,” Griffin explained about accepting the job during the pandemic.
“And I thought if there’s anything [I can do] to help, I couldn’t say no.”
However, Griffin said she would not support another Trump presidency, adding, “We got to move on from this era.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin as a guest co-host on “The View” on May 24.ABC via Getty Images
What are Griffin’s political beliefs?
Griffin is a Conservative.
Although she worked for the Trump administration, she has spoken out against him, saying she quit a month after he lost the 2020 election because she “saw where this [the Republican Party] was heading.”
During the Jan. 6 insurrection, she tweeted, “Condemn this now, @realDonaldTrump… You are the only one they will listen to. For our country!
“There were cases of fraud that should be investigated,” she continued later that day. “But the legitimate margins of victory for Biden are far too wide to change the outcome. … We must accept these results.”
Although her Twitter still regularly leans to the right, Griffin doubled down on her Jan. 6 words while also bashing former White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Matthews in July.
She [Matthews] believed in him [Trump] like millions of Americans. On 1/6 he let her de ella & our entire country down, ” Griffin wrote in a tweet.
There were cases of fraud that should be investigated. But the legitimate margins of victory for Biden are far too wide to change the outcome. You need to know that.
I’m proud of many policy accomplishments the Trump Admin had. But we must accept these results.
Alyssa Farah Griffin has made multiple appearances on “The View.”The View / YouTube
Has she been a guest on ‘The View’ before?
Yes, Griffin has made multiple appearances on the ABC primetime talk show after the show’s Conservative host Meghan McCain departed in 2021. Ostensibly on the hunt for someone to replace her, “The View” launched a sort of “public audition,” the Hollywood Reporter has speculated, featuring a number of prominent Conservative pundits.
Griffin oftentimes sits at the Hot Topics table, including the memorable moment she revealed her dad and stepmom did not attend her wedding due to political differences on Feb. 11, as previously mentioned.
Griffin also faced tough questions from the permanent hosts on the Oct. 4, 2021, episode while discussing how some Trump employees bought into the narrative that the election was stolen.
“I got plenty of tea to spill, ladies,” she laughed on the episode. “Here today and tomorrow,” she quipped.
Mask mandates, skipping a wedding and heading straight to a honeymoon and Andrew Cuomo are among other topics Griffin has discussed on the show.
Alyssa Farah Griffin on “The View” on May 24.ABC via Getty Images
Who else was considered for the co-hosting gig?
Stephanie Grisham, Tara Setmayer, Michele Tafoya, Ana Navarro and others were candidates for the empty seat at “The View’s” table, PrimeTimer reported.
Since McCain’s departure, producers have also recruited Mia Love, Gretchen Carlson and Eboni K. Williams, among others to temporarily fill in, but it sounds like Griffin will outweigh them all.
But she won’t be the only familiar face come Thursday. Longtime co-host and God-fearing Republican Elisabeth Hasselbeck returned to the show on Wednesday after being fired in 2013 when producers wanted to shake up the cast. However, they subsequently spent years trying and failing to bring in a Conservative who captivated audiences in the same way that she did.
“The View” will make its official co-host announcement on Thursday at 11 am EST.
Australia’s Daria Saville upset top-seeded defending champion Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-4 on Wednesday at the Washington Open.
World No. 88 Saville ripped the seventh-ranked American in hot and humid conditions while Romanian third seed Simona Halep retired with illness down 7-5 2-0 to Anna Kalinskaya.
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“I stayed really composed,” Saville said.
“I managed the energy really well. It was very hot. But I thought it’s hot for everyone so get on with it.”
Saville booked a quarterfinal match against Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino, who beat Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-3 3-6 6-1.
The 28-year-old Russian-born Aussie won her only WTA title at the 2017 Connecticut Open but dispatched Pegula in 98 minutes for her second top-10 win of the year after downing Ons Jabeur at Indian Wells in March.
“Everyone’s attitude is I’m here to win the tournament and I’m no different,” Saville said. “I’m playing really good tennis right now. I’m excited for more.”
Saville fell to 627th in the world rankings after Achilles tendon surgery that sidelined her for most of last year.
Now she is into her third quarter-final of the year after Miami and Guadalajara.
“I’m happy,” Saville said.
“It creates good reputation. Players are going to say, ‘she’s playing well. She has some good wins this year’.
On the men’s side of the draw, Nick Kyrgios defeated Tommy Paul in straight sets to move into the round of 16 and continue his strong form ahead of the US Open.
It wasn’t such good news elsewhere among the Australian contingent in Washington, with Alexei Popyrin and Alex de Minaur losing to Taylor Fritz and Yoshihito Nishioka, respectively.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) said Wednesday that Social Security and Medicare should be up for congressional approval each year, instead of staying under their current status as federal entitlement programs.
“Social Security and Medicare, if you qualify for the entitlement, you just get it no matter what the cost,” Johnson said in an interview that aired Tuesday on “The Regular Joe Show” podcast.
The Wisconsin senator, who is up for reelection in a highly contested race this fall that will help determine which party holds the majority next year, argued that the mandatory spending status of funding for the federal programs should be switched to discretionary spending “so it’s all evaluated.”
“Our problem in this country is that more than 70 percent of our federal budget, of our federal spending, is all mandatory spending. It’s on automatic pilot. It never — you just don’t do proper oversight. You don’t get in there and fix the programs going bankrupt. It’s just on automatic pilot,” Johnson said.
“As long as things are on automatic pilot, we just continue to pile up debt,” he added.
I have argued that funding for the programs should instead come before Congress for annual approval.
A spokesperson for Johnson’s office told The Hill in a statement Wednesday that the senator “never suggested putting Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block.”
“The Senator’s point was that without fiscal discipline and oversight typically found with discretionary spending, Congress has allowed the guaranteed benefits for programs like Social Security and Medicare to be threatened. This must be addressed by Congress taking its responsibilities seriously to ensure that seniors don’t need to question whether the programs they depend on remain solvent,” the spokesperson said.
Social Security benefits are available to US retirees, and Medicare health insurance is available to citizens who are over the age of 65 or disabled. American workers’ taxes fund the programs, with workers paying into the federal programs. In the case of Social Security, benefits are linked in part to one’s earnings, which help determine a monthly payment.
Democrats quickly pounced on Johnson’s remarks, suggesting the majority party thinks they could hurt Johnson in his reelection bid.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (DN.Y.) said that Johnson’s comments showed that the programs could be cut by Republicans.
“They’re saying the quiet part out loud. MAGA Republicans want to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block,” Schumer wrote, referring to the Trump campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.”
Johnson’s spokesperson pushed back against the majority leader, saying in a statement that “Senator Schumer is lying about what Sen. Johnson said.”
The former fiancee of Michael Lichaa has refused to show up to court and give evidence – because she is pregnant – as the ex-NRL star fights domestic violence allegations.
The former Cronulla and Canterbury hooker has denied assaulting his former partner Kara Childerhouse during a heated late-night incident in February last year.
The conclusion of the matter was due to be heard at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday and Friday.
Police allege Mr Lichaa, 29, was involved in an argument that prompted concerned neighbors to call police to his Connells Point home in southern Sydney.
The court was told that the incident occurred after Mr Lichaa caught Ms Childerhouse cheating on him with his best mate and former teammate Adam Elliott.
The court was due to hear evidence from Mr Elliott on Thursday.
However, the police prosecution applied for an adjournment after tending to a doctor’s note saying that Ms Childerhouse was pregnant and she claimed she was unfit to give evidence until October 31.
Hours later the court was told that Ms Childerhouse’s mother had arrived at Sutherland Court House and told police that Ms Childerhouse did not want to relive the “trauma” and was worried about the stress of having to give evidence having already twice been in the witness box. .
Ms Childerhouse was in the middle of cross-examination when she failed to show up to court on Thursday.
The prosecution conceded that there was no guarantee that she would show up to court if the hearing – which has already dragged on for nearly nine months – was further pushed back.
“I’ve not heard any information which provides me with any confidence that Ms Childerhouse is likely to attend if granted an adjournment,” magistrate Melissa Humphreys said.
“It would appear Ms Childerhouse no longer wishes to participate in the proceedings.”
Police had attempted to contact her by phone and email and knocked on her door on Thursday; however, she did not respond, the court was told.
Ms Childerhouse has previously given part of her evidence in closed court. Defense barrister James Trevallion applied for all of her testimony from her to be struck out because he had not been able to cross-examine her on key issues.
Ms Childerhouse had claimed that during the incident that Mr Lichaa pushed her, causing her to hit her head against a wall, the court was previously told.
Mr Lichaa has pleaded not guilty to common assault and stalking/intimidate causing fear of physical harm.
He pleaded guilty to the less serious charge of destroying property.
Earlier, Ms Humphreys ruled that a statement given by Ms Childerhouse, in which she retracted the allegations, would be admitted into evidence.
The hearing has now stretched on since late last year – day one of the trial was held in early November last year before it returned to court in March.
The proceedings have so far been concerned with legal arguments about the admissibility of Ms Childerhouse’s statutory declaration in which she said she did not want an AVO taken out on her behalf.
The police prosecution has asked Ms Humphreys to rule it inadmissible after Ms Childerhouse claimed that she was pressured into making it by Mr Lichaa, his parents and solicitor.
However, Ms Humphreys said she could make no finding of impropriety and said it would be included.
After months of being locked down and singled out as a coronavirus danger zone, Western Sydney is facing the difficult challenge of bouncing back.
Key points:
Photographs from Being Together: Parramatta Yearbook (2021–2022) are on display in Parramatta’s Centenary Square
The area’s rapid development over the past few years provides the background to much of the project
Photographer Cherine Fahd hopes to take the concept to other communities
Workers required permits to leave their local area, the community had nightly 9pm curfews, defense personnel were on the streets helping enforce restrictions, and a targeted police operation roamed the areas known as the LGAs of concern.
Despite four months of tough restrictions, the community’s spirit was not broken, and people returned enthusiastically to public spaces in droves.
Photographer Cherine Fahd discovered this as she embarked on her photography project at the end of the 107-day lockdown.
“I wasn’t sure whether people would want to participate, whether they’d want to come onto the stage that we created and take photographs with me. And it was incredible,” Fahd said.
One of the multiple photo shoots was held outside Western Sydney Stadium.(Supplied: Cherine Fahd)
“People were really enthusiastic to be part of something creative.”
Setting up photo booths in Parramatta’s public spaces such as Centenary Square and outside Western Sydney Stadium before an Eels game, Fahd captured a cross-section of the community after shooting for more than eight months.
Photographs from Being Together: Parramatta Yearbook (2021–2022) from the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Parramatta Artists’ Studios are on display in Parramatta’s Centenary Square.
Like a high school yearbook, locals are invited to find themselves in the public artwork.
Parramatta is one of Sydney’s most diverse neighbourhoods. Fahd said the cultural richness that shone in her work de ella came naturally to the project.
MCA curator Pedro de Almeida says the work puts art outside the typical gallery environment.(Supplied: Cherine Fahd)
“It’s just the people that came and went on the days that we were shooting,” she said.
“Parramatta is diverse, it always has been.”
MCA curator Pedro de Almeida said works like Fahd’s were able to put community front and center outside the typical gallery environment that art usually resided in.
“Fahd has brought her humor and empathy to this year’s project Being Together: Parramatta Years and engaged with Parramatta’s diverse communities,” Mr de Almeida said.
“The result is a special kind of public yearbook that recognizes many of the individuals that shape Parramatta’s identity and celebrates the connections shared between them.”
A time capsule of a changing city
Pounding jackhammers, whirring drills, and reversing trucks make up the soundscape of Parramatta’s center as the area is being transformed into a concrete jungle metropolis.
Fahd says her aim was to foreground the people against the rapid development of the city.(Supplied: Cherine Fahd)
Major infrastructure projects, such as the Parramatta Square project and Sydney Metro, promise to rival the Sydney CBD and represent the rapid development of the city.
Fahd sought to capture this change in the project, which included a photo shoot on the construction site of 5 Parramatta Square, where the new council chambers will be housed.
“One of my aims as an artist was to foreground the people against that backdrop of development,” she said.
“I think we get lost in the excitement of architecture and building and the people can get lost in that.”
Lord Mayor of Parramatta City Council Donna Davis said the artwork did a great job of capturing this moment in time for the city.
“This artwork is a wonderful representation of our city and its people at a significant moment in time — not only in terms of the pandemic but also with respect to the physical transformation of the CBD,” Ms Davis said.
Fahd says she was not expecting participants to be so willing to take part.(Supplied: Cherine Fahd)
Beginning of lifelong project
Parramatta Yearbook is likely the beginning of a lifelong project for Fahd, who says she would like to take the concept further afield to other places where a strong sense of community binds people together, particularly through hardship.
Fahd brought up the example of Lismore, which was hit by catastrophic flooding earlier this year.
“You could take it regionally, you could take it overseas, take it into other states and capture various communities,” she said.
“Each community will bring something of themselves and something that’s unique.”
Robert E. Crimo III pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 117 criminal charges stemming from the Highland Park massacre as his parents told reporters they “deeply regret the actions their son had taken.”
The plea was entered by Crimo’s attorney during a brief court hearing in Lake County. Crimo answered “yes” to several questions from Judge Victoria Rossetti on whether he understood the case against him.
Crimo was indicted two weeks ago on the charges accusing him of firing from a rooftop during a Fourth of July parade, killing seven people and wounding 48 others.
They include three counts for each person who died, and counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery for each person wounded that day. Crimo faces natural life in prison if convicted of two or more of the murder charges.
Crimo entered the courtroom shortly before 11 am, his hands shackled to a belt around his waist. He was dressed in a dark blue jump suit and wore a blue surgical mask on his face as he sat next to his attorneys from him. Eight sheriff’s deputies stood facing Crimo.
When the hearing began, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart called the case, and the judge asked if Crimo has seen the indictment. The judge then read each charge as Crimo sat back in his chair, looking straight ahead.
Crimo’s parents attended the hearing but declined to speak with reporters afterward. An attorney representing them, George Gomez, said the parents are “still devastated by what had occurred on July Fourth.” I have added they “are in shock” at the possibility of a life sentence for their son.
Asked what the parents want to say to the community, Gomez said, “In hindsight, they deeply regret the actions their son had taken. They’re part of the Highland Park community. They’re heartbroken by all those affected by this tragic event. They’re here to express their sorrows.”
Attorney George Gomez (from left); Robert Crimo III’s father, Robert Crimo Jr.; mother Denise Pesina; and attorney Sussethe Renteria enter the Lake County courthouse Wednesday.
Rinehart, speaking to reporters after the hearing, would not comment on whether there have been any plea negotiations. While Crimo’s attorney did not ask for a trial, the request can be made later.
“They did not request a trial, I’ll leave it to them” to answer why, Rinehart said. Crimo’s next court date was set for 11 am Nov. 1.
Ashbey Beasley, who was at the parade with her young son, said she attended Wednesday’s hearing “because people from my community cannot be here. They’re not ready. They are broken, living in fear.”
She said she wanted “to be a presence for them, to be able to sit in the courtroom and know the people in my town matter, and that what happened to them matters.”
Beasley said she has faith in the Lake County state’s attorney, and “he will bring down the hammer of justice on this defendant.”
Prosecutors have given no motive for the mass shooting, but during an initial court hearing two days after the shooting, they said Crimo has confessed to firing more than 80 rounds into a crowd of spectators lining the downtown parade route.
Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart speaks Wednesday outside the Lake County Courthouse in Waukegan after Robert E. Crimo III’s arraignment.
On the day of the attack, Crimo dressed in women’s clothing and wore makeup to cover his face tattoos because he feared he would be recognized, prosecutors have said.
Surveillance video allegedly shows Crimo walking down an alley behind a building at the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Second Street and climbing stairs to reach the roof.
Police found 83 shell casings. Paramedics took 52 people to hospitals and five people died at the parade, according to an ambulance report. Two people died later at hospitals.
Despite his disguise, police officers familiar with Crimo identified him in still images taken from surveillance cameras after the shooting, prosecutors said.
Video shows Crimo running down the alley with a bag over his shoulder and dropping a rifle wrapped in a cloth, prosecutors said. Police recovered the weapon within minutes and traced it to Crimo, who had purchased it in 2020 when he was 19.
Crimo went to his mother’s nearby home and took off in her car as police launched a manhunt. He drove to Madison, Wisconsin, where he spotted a group of people and thought about shooting them with a second rifle in the car, authorities have said.
Crimo had about 60 rounds in the car with him, but he apparently felt he hadn’t put enough “thought and research” into opening fire, authorities said.
He turned back, dumped his cellphone in nearby Middleton and was finally spotted that evening in North Chicago, about eight hours after the shooting. He was arrested around 5:30 pm after a brief car chase.
The victims who died are: Katherine Goldstein, 64; Irina McCarthy, 35; Kevin McCarthy, 37; Jackie Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88, all of Highland Park; Nicolas Toledo, 78, of Morelos, Mexico; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan.
Dozens of mourners gather for a vigil near Central Avenue and St. Johns Avenue in downtown Highland Park, one day after a gunman killed seven people and wounded dozens more by firing a semiautomatic rifle from a rooftop into a crowd attending Highland Park’s Fourth of July parade .
