The father of Highland Park shooting suspect has been charged with felony reckless conduct for helping his son get a firearm ID card despite his previous threats of violence

• Robert E. Crimo III is the alleged gunman in the July 4 Highland Park shooting that killed seven.
• His father, Robert Crimo Jr., has been charged with seven felonies for helping his son get a gun.

The father of the shooting suspect who killed seven people on July 4 at a Highland Park, Illinois parade has been charged with felonies for helping his son get a gun.

Robert Crimo Jr., the father of Robert E. Crimo III, was arrested on Friday and charged with seven counts of felony reckless conduct, according to a statement released by the Lake County State's Attorney's Office — one count for each person killed in the shooting.

Each charge carries with it a possible three-year term in prison, which are usually served concurrently.

CNN reported Crimo Jr., who has denied any responsibility for the shooting, helped his son apply for his gun license and identification in 2019, just months after police were alerted to Crimo III saying "he was going to kill everyone" in his family, according to police. The then 18-year-old needed parental consent to receive his Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card.

With his FOID card, the firearm used for the shooting was legally obtained by Crimo III, despite police previously confiscating 16 knives from the suspect after his 2019 threats of violence.

NBC News reported that Crimo III posted music videos depicting mass murders, including a school shooting and a police shooting, prior to the attack. He now faces 117 charges for killing seven people and wounding 48 people, including seven counts of first-degree murder, according to the State Attorney's statement.

"Parents and guardians are in the best position to decide whether their teenager should have a weapon," Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart added in the statement. "They are the first line of defense. In this case, that system failed when Robert Crimo Jr. sponsored his son. He knew what he knew, and he signed the form anyway. This was criminally reckless and a contributing cause to the bodily harm suffered by the victims on July 4th."

The charges against Crimo Jr. are a rare example of the parents of an accused mass shooter facing legal repercussions for their child's actions. James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of Oxford High School shooter Ethan Crumbley have been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly allowing their 15-year-old son easy access to a gun and neglecting concerns regarding his mental health.

Ethan Crumbley pleaded guilty to terrorism charges related to the shooting while his parents are appealing their charges but are expected to stand trial, CNN reported.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office and Lake County State's Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.