Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
If you close your eyes, you can almost hear it.
(00:02):
A perfect July morning.
Flags rippling, lawn chairslined up along Central Avenue,
the hum of a town that believesit's safe.
You hear the brass band warmingup, a child begging for cotton
candy, parents waving to floatsas they pass.
It's the sound of summer, thesound of small town America.
And then, in an instant, thatsound changes.
(00:24):
Music turns into screaming.
Flags drop.
People run.
And Highland Park, a place thatalways felt untouched, becomes
the next headline in a storywe've heard too many times.
That morning didn't just steallife.
It broke something deeper, asense of innocence, of trust, of
ordinary safety.
But what happened afterward, howa community faced its wreckage,
(00:44):
how neighbors became lifelines,that's where this story lies.
I'm Thomas.
This is human wreckage.
In this episode, we return toHighland Park, Illinois, to
understand what happens whencelebration turns to horror and
how people find a way back fromsilence.
(01:42):
The shooting occurred at 1014M,roughly 15 minutes after the
parade had started.
Seven people were killed andforty-eight others were wounded
by bullets or shrapnel.
Authorities apprehendedtwenty-one year old Robert
Eugene Cremo III, more thaneight hours after the shooting
and charged him the next daywith seven counts of first
degree murder.
(02:02):
On july twenty seventh, thecharges were upgraded to twenty
one counts of first degreemurder, forty-eight counts of
attempted murder and forty eightcounts of aggravated battery.
Cremo pleaded guilty to allcharges on March 3rd, 2025,
shortly before his trial was tobegin.
At that time, his sentencing wasset for April 23rd.
(02:23):
By law, he faced a mandatorylife sentence.
On April 24, 2025, Cremo wassentenced to seven consecutive
life sentences plus 2,400 yearswithout parole.
Highland Park is an affluentsuburban community of about
30,000, located in southeasternLake County, Illinois, United
States, 25 miles north ofChicago, in the area's north
(02:44):
shore.
The city held a 4th of Julycelebration, which included a
parade that began at 10 and theparade started at the
intersection of Laurel and St.
John's Avenues, headed north onSt.
John's Avenue, then turned weston Central Avenue, and continued
to Sunset Woods Park.
The shooting began at 10 14 M indowntown Highland Park, with the
(03:05):
shooter firing a rifle from therooftop of the Ross Cosmetics
Building, a local store on thenorthwest corner of Central
Avenue and 2nd Street.
The gunmen had gained access tothe elevated position by using
an unsecured ladder attached tothe building.
The shooter used a Smith andWesson rifle with three 30-round
magazines.
A total of 83 shots were fired.
(03:26):
Victims included spectators andsome of those marching in the
parade.
At least one parade attendeeprovided medical treatment to
those injured before firstresponders arrived.
Footage shot by Chicago SunTimes reporter Lynn Sweet, a
spectator at the parade, shows aparticipating klezmer band on
afloat continuing to play asgunfire began, and many
(03:47):
attendees running whilescreaming.
Over one hundred law enforcementofficers from multiple agencies
responded to the shooting.
The shooter ceased firing as lawenforcement officers approached
the building, fled the scene,and evaded immediate capture.
During his escape, the rifleCremo used fell from his bag and
was recovered by police withinminutes.
He then drove to the Madison,Wisconsin area.
(04:09):
He considered attacking anotherIndependence Day celebration in
Madison, but decided against it.
He discarded his cell phone inMiddleton, Wisconsin.
A driver from Waukegan and hispassengers spotted Cremo's
damaged 2010 Honda FitSouthbound on U.S.
Route 41 near Wadsworth.
Over the next 13 minutes, theyrelayed information to 911
(04:30):
operators.
Cremo was stopped by NorthChicago and Lake Forest police
units at the intersection of U.
Route 41 and Wesley Road in LakeForest, Illinois, and
apprehended without incident atapproximately 6.30 p.m., more
than eight hours after theshooting began.
Seven people were killed andforty-eight others were injured
by either bullets or shrapnelduring the attack.
(04:51):
Five of the victims, all adults,died at the scene, and two died
at the hospital.
Mexican authorities have saidtwo men killed at the parade
were natives of the country.
One of these was a 78-year-oldMexican grandfather who was
visiting family in the area, andanother was a 69-year-old man.
Three Jewish victims that werekilled were a 63-year-old woman,
(05:12):
an 88-year-old grandfather, anda 35-year-old woman.
Another was a 64-year-old motherof two.
The victims ranged in age from 8to 88 years old.
Highland Park Hospital reportedthat they were treating 26
people after the shooting, 25being gunshot wounds, with five
later transferred to AvanstonHospital.
One of the wounded victims wasrendered paraplegic.
(05:34):
Additionally, four of theinjured were transported to
Glenbrook Hospital, and severalothers were taken to hospitals
outside of the North ShoreUniversity Medical System
Network.
Highland Park authoritiescollaborated with the FBI,
Illinois State Police, andChicago Police during the
investigation and manhunt.
The police believe only oneshooter was involved, and the
shooting was described asappearing to be very random and
(05:58):
very intentional.
After his arrest, Cremo's homein Highwood, a small suburb just
north of Highland Park, wasraided by FBI agents.
Lake County authorities allegedthat Cremo planned the attack
for weeks, and that he dressedin women's clothing and hid his
facial tattoos in order to fleethe scene after the attack among
panicked parade goers.
(06:18):
Highland Park Mayor NancyRotering said that she believed
that the weapon used in thecrime was obtained legally.
Police seized three rifles, oneshotgun, and one handgun from
Cremo.
Cremo's motives remain unclear.
The London-based Institute forStrategic Dialogue said it
appeared Cremo's extensiveonline presence contained posts
that gravitated toward far rightand neo-fascist ideologies.
(06:41):
A Highland Park rabbi statedthat, three months before the
shooting, Cremo had enteredCentral Avenue Synagogue, a
Chabad house, during thePassover setter and was asked to
leave.
The Chabad house is located twoblocks from where the July 4th
shooting occurred.
However, investigators havedetermined no racial or
religious motivation for theshooting.
Michael Masters, NationalDirector and CEO of the Secure
(07:04):
Community Network headquarteredin Chicago, said, Nothing
overtly we have identified inhis social media post says this
was an anti-Semitic attack, butwe are coordinating with law
enforcement.
Apparently on social media,there are some indications he
was ideating around the Fourthof July for some period of time,
which would indicate this wasnot an attack on one particular
(07:25):
community.
According to experts on Canonand conspiracy theory movements,
Cremo's social media diet, whileextreme, was distinct from the
realm of Canon.
Mike Rothskild, an author whohas written on Canon, said, the
world Cremo lived in was prettyfar off cue.
He was in a 4chan bubble ofironic Nazi and anime memes,
(07:45):
fascist inspired music, and massshooter ideation that basically
consumes nothing but irony andsadness.
Robert Eugene Cremo, the thirdborn September 20th, Twin was
charged on July 5th with sevencounts of first degree murder.
The next day, he confessed tothe shooting.
The Lake County Sheriff's Officesaid that he is being held
without bail.
(08:05):
A preliminary hearing wasscheduled for July 28, 2022,
that the hearing was obviatedwhen a Lake County, Illinois
grand jury indicted Cremo onJuly 27, 2022.
Cremo was indicted on 117 felonycounts.
For each of the seven deceasedvictims, three counts of first
degree murder 21 counts, and foreach of the 48 victims struck by
(08:27):
a bullet or shrapnel, one countof attempted murder 48 counts,
and one count of aggravatedbattery 48 additional counts.
Cremo initially pleaded notguilty, and his trial was
originally set for February2025.
At a June 2024 hearing, it wasanticipated that Cremo would
plead guilty to 55 counts,including seven counts of first
(08:49):
degree murder, and immediatelybe sentenced.
However, during the hearing hedeclined to change his not
guilty plea.
Jury selection for Cremo's trialbegan on February 24, 2025.
That same day, prosecutorsdropped aggravated battery
charges against him.
On March 3, 2025, Cremo pleadedguilty to all 69 counts, just
(09:11):
hours before his trial was setto begin.
His sentencing was set for April23, 2025.
The maximum sentence Cremo couldface in Illinois was
imprisonment for life.
Following his guilty plea, hismother Denise made a quiet
comment in the courtroom thatprompted the judge to halt the
proceedings.
She continued to sit in thecourtroom after a warning from
(09:31):
the judge, but followingproceedings, Denise stormed out
of the Lake County Courthouse.
In an interview with WGN TVoutside the courthouse, she said
that Cremo had no free will tomake his own choices, and he has
never had any outside help.
On April 24, 2025, Cremo wassentenced to seven consecutive
life sentences without thepossibility of parole, plus
(09:54):
2,400 years fifty years on eachof the 48 counts of attempted
murder to be servedconsecutively to the life
sentences.
His sentencing caused anger tothe injured victims inside the
court because Cremo would havepotentially been afforded the
time to address an apology tothem.
During the recess, the state'sattorney told victims that it
was his belief the sentence hadalready been handed down, and
(10:16):
therefore it was too late forCremo to speak during the
hearing.
On April 25th, 2025, Cremo wastransferred to the Stateville
Correctional Center in CrestHill to serve his sentence.
Survivors and their familieshave also filed multiple
lawsuits, including againstSmith and Wesson, the maker of
the semi-automatic rifle used inthe shooting against Illinois
(10:36):
State Police and Cremo's father,Robert Cremo Jr.
Cremo lived in Lake Countythroughout his entire life.
He attended Highland Park HighSchool but dropped out before
his junior year.
At the age of 11, he beganuploading music to the internet.
He has performed under the stagename Awake the Rapper and posted
his albums on Spotify, YouTube,and Apple Music.
(10:58):
Music videos by him on YouTubedepicted mass shootings and
characters being shot by police.
One video was accompanied by thenarration, I need to just do it.
It is my destiny.
The account is no longeravailable.
Cremaux frequently visited anonline message board that
discussed graphic depictions ofdeath.
He posted a video of a beheadingthe week before the shooting.
(11:20):
He had his own Discord server,which was invaded by 4 Chan
users after the shooting and hassince been shut down.
Stephen Harrison of Slatespeculated he had used a
single-purpose account on theEnglish Wikipedia in an
unsuccessful attempt to createan article about himself in 2017
and 2018.
An account with the sameusername created articles about
(11:41):
Cremo on the fandom sitesWikitubia and the Rap Wiki.
A voluble supporter of thenformer President Donald Trump,
Cremo frequented far rightgatherings, often wearing wears
Waldo garb and confrontationallyjoined counter protests.
Cremo signed his name and DonaldTrump's when he waived his right
to trial.
Police records and people whoknew Cremo indicate that he came
(12:02):
from a middle class but troubledhousehold.
When Cremo was two, his motherDenise left him unattended on a
hot August day inside a car withwindows rolled up.
She pleaded guilty to childendangerment and was ordered to
undergo an evaluation at a childadvocacy center.
Between 29 and 2014, policeofficers visited the Cremo's
(12:22):
home nearly 20 times, nine ofwhich involved reports of
domestic violence.
In 2010, Cremo's father, RobertCremo, Jr.
reported that his wife struckhim with a screwdriver, but
later retracted the accusation.
Officers recommended that thecouple go through marriage
counseling or separate.
Cremo's parents no longer livetogether.
Law enforcement identified twoprior encounters with Cremo, a
(12:46):
911 call in April 2019 reportingthat he attempted to commit
suicide in a September 2019incident regarding alleged
threats by Cremo to a familymember.
According to law enforcement,mental health professionals
handled the suicide matter.
In September 2019, police seized16 knives, a dagger, and a sword
from Cremo after a family memberreported to the police that he
(13:09):
planned to kill everyone.
Cremo's father said the weaponswere his, however, and both
parents denied Cremo hadthreatened anyone.
He was not charged with a crimeat the time, but a clear and
present danger report was filedwith the Illinois State Police.
In December that year, Cremoapplied for a firearm owner
identification card Foyd.
(13:29):
It was sponsored by his fatherdue to his young age.
On either occasion, HighlandPark Police could have invoked
Illinois red flag law, whichwould have allowed them to seek
a restraining order preventingCremo from buying guns for up to
six months.
However, they did not pursuethis option.
Just four months later, inJanuary 2020, Illinois State
Police approved Cremo for afirearms permit, and he passed
(13:53):
four background checks whenbuying firearms in 2020 and
2021.
When asked why the clear andpresent danger report did not
prevent Cremo from obtaining aFord card, Illinois State Police
said that Cremo denied that hewould harm himself or others
when questioned.
Moreover, no one, includingfamily, was willing to move
forward on a complaint, or toprovide pertinent information
(14:14):
relating to threats or to mentalhealth, any of which could have
enabled further action by lawenforcement.
His weapon that was used in theshooting was reportedly
purchased online from anotherstore in another state and then
legally shipped to the Red.armsstore in Lake Villa for pickup.
In 2023, a 38-second video ofCremo from a prison phone call
(14:35):
at the Lake County Jail inWaukegan surfaced.
In the video, Cremo claims theshooting was a false flag
operation.
He also claims that hisinterview was a performance and
he was tortured into falsifyingevidence.
The clip was filmed and postedby a woman who identifies
herself as a registered nurse,mental health advocate, and
investigative journalist on herconspiracy theory blog.
(14:58):
Earlier that year, Cremo's videocall privileges were revoked
after he allegedly made a prankcall to a New York Post
reporter, but his privilegeswere reinstated 30 days later.
Cremo's father, 58-year-oldRobert Bob Cremo Jr., who lived
with his son, said that therehad been no warning signs
immediately before the shooting.
He said he does not regretsponsoring his son for an
(15:20):
Illinois Foy card that allowedhis son to legally purchase
weapons even after incidentsthat raised red flags with
police.
Cremo Jr.
described the entire situationas a nightmare, saying the
family is shocked at thebehavior because he believes his
son was raised with good morals.
In an interview with the NewYork Post the day after the
shooting, he denied anyresponsibility or feelings of
(15:42):
guilt over how his son got thegun he used and said that his
son had talked about the 2022Copenhagen Mall shooting and the
22-year-old Danish suspect thenight before allegedly launching
his own massacre.
Cremo Jr.
lived in Highwood throughoutmost of his life and also had
ties to both Highland Park andBuffalo Grove.
He lived with his wife, HighlandPark native Denise Pesna Cremo,
(16:05):
who had a criminal historydating back as far as mid-22.
Police records from Tulane 9 to2014 showed a variety of
domestic disputes between CremoIzai's parents that included
allegations of both verbal andphysical abuse.
In the 1980s and 1990s, CremoJr.
served as the operator of aWhite Hen pantry store in
Highland Park, and in 2008,Cremo Jr.
(16:27):
and his wife launched their ownpantry and deli restaurant not
far from the former White HenPantry.
The location has since beenclosed following the shooting.
On December 16, 2022, Cremo Jr.
was arrested without incidentand charged with seven counts of
reckless conduct in relation tothe shooting.
Lake County State's attorneyEric Reinhardt said that Cremo
(16:48):
Jr.
surrendered to Highwood Police.
The charges are based on Cremosponsoring his then 19-year-old
son's application for a gunlicense in 2019.
The following morning ondecember 17, Cremo Jr.
was released on$50,000 bond.
On february sixteenth, 2023,Cremo Jr.
entered a not guilty plea to thecharges involving the 2019
(17:09):
acquisition of his son's gunlicense.
On November 6th, he pleadedguilty to seven misdemeanor
counts of reckless conduct aspart of a plea deal.
He was sentenced to 60 days injail and two years of probation.
On November 15th, ahead of hisimprisonment, Cremo Jr.
wore a white t-shirt to the LakeCounty Courthouse with large
black letters reading I'm apolitical pawn on the front and
(17:32):
laws, facts, reality.
On the other side, Cremo Jr.
turned the shirt inside outbefore he entered the courtroom.
However, the judge threatened tohold Cremo Jr.
in contempt of the court if hedid it again.
Cremo Jr.'s lawyer, GeorgeGomez, said he did not know the
meaning of his client's t shirt.
When the gunfire stopped,Highland Park was silent.
(17:52):
But that silence didn't last.
In the days that followed, youcould hear the sounds of
something else.
The shuffle of volunteerscarrying candles to vigils, the
hum of voices sharing meals, thesteady rhythm of footsteps at
memorial walks.
They were small sounds, maybebut they were human ones.
Every tragedy leaves wreckagebehind.
The empty seats, the unspokenquestions, the ache that shows
(18:15):
up when the fireworks return.
But what the people of HighlandPark have shown and what every
community touched by violencecontinues to show is that
wreckage isn't the end of thestory.
It's the beginning ofrebuilding.
Rebuilding looks like therapysessions and art projects,
policy debates and school safetydrills, quiet mornings where
people simply choose to keepliving.
(18:36):
We tell stories like this not torelive the pain, but to
understand the cost of ignoringit, and to remember that behind
every headline there are names,faces, and hearts that still
beat with courage.
Maybe the sound of July fourthwill never mean the same thing
again here.
But maybe with time the echoesof that day will fade into
something softer.
Not fear, but resolve.
(18:57):
Not silence, but solidarity.
I'm Thomas, and this has beenHuman Wreckage.
Thank you for listening and forremembering.
If you close your eyes, you can almost hear it.
(00:02):
A perfect July morning.
Flags rippling, lawn chairslined up along Central Avenue,
the hum of a town that believesit's safe.
You hear the brass band warmingup, a child begging for cotton
candy, parents waving to floatsas they pass.
It's the sound of summer, thesound of small town America.
And then, in an instant, thatsound changes.
(00:24):
Music turns into screaming.
Flags drop.
People run.
And Highland Park, a place thatalways felt untouched, becomes
the next headline in a storywe've heard too many times.
That morning didn't just steallife.
It broke something deeper, asense of innocence, of trust, of
ordinary safety.
But what happened afterward, howa community faced its wreckage,
(00:44):
how neighbors became lifelines,that's where this story lies.
I'm Thomas.
This is human wreckage.
In this episode, we return toHighland Park, Illinois, to
understand what happens whencelebration turns to horror and
how people find a way back fromsilence.
(01:42):
The shooting occurred at 1014M,roughly 15 minutes after the
parade had started.
Seven people were killed andforty-eight others were wounded
by bullets or shrapnel.
Authorities apprehendedtwenty-one year old Robert
Eugene Cremo III, more thaneight hours after the shooting
and charged him the next daywith seven counts of first
degree murder.
(02:02):
On july twenty seventh, thecharges were upgraded to twenty
one counts of first degreemurder, forty-eight counts of
attempted murder and forty eightcounts of aggravated battery.
Cremo pleaded guilty to allcharges on March 3rd, 2025,
shortly before his trial was tobegin.
At that time, his sentencing wasset for April 23rd.
(02:23):
By law, he faced a mandatorylife sentence.
On April 24, 2025, Cremo wassentenced to seven consecutive
life sentences plus 2,400 yearswithout parole.
Highland Park is an affluentsuburban community of about
30,000, located in southeasternLake County, Illinois, United
States, 25 miles north ofChicago, in the area's north
(02:44):
shore.
The city held a 4th of Julycelebration, which included a
parade that began at 10 and theparade started at the
intersection of Laurel and St.
John's Avenues, headed north onSt.
John's Avenue, then turned weston Central Avenue, and continued
to Sunset Woods Park.
The shooting began at 10 14 M indowntown Highland Park, with the
(03:05):
shooter firing a rifle from therooftop of the Ross Cosmetics
Building, a local store on thenorthwest corner of Central
Avenue and 2nd Street.
The gunmen had gained access tothe elevated position by using
an unsecured ladder attached tothe building.
The shooter used a Smith andWesson rifle with three 30-round
magazines.
A total of 83 shots were fired.
(03:26):
Victims included spectators andsome of those marching in the
parade.
At least one parade attendeeprovided medical treatment to
those injured before firstresponders arrived.
Footage shot by Chicago SunTimes reporter Lynn Sweet, a
spectator at the parade, shows aparticipating klezmer band on
afloat continuing to play asgunfire began, and many
(03:47):
attendees running whilescreaming.
Over one hundred law enforcementofficers from multiple agencies
responded to the shooting.
The shooter ceased firing as lawenforcement officers approached
the building, fled the scene,and evaded immediate capture.
During his escape, the rifleCremo used fell from his bag and
was recovered by police withinminutes.
He then drove to the Madison,Wisconsin area.
(04:09):
He considered attacking anotherIndependence Day celebration in
Madison, but decided against it.
He discarded his cell phone inMiddleton, Wisconsin.
A driver from Waukegan and hispassengers spotted Cremo's
damaged 2010 Honda FitSouthbound on U.S.
Route 41 near Wadsworth.
Over the next 13 minutes, theyrelayed information to 911
(04:30):
operators.
Cremo was stopped by NorthChicago and Lake Forest police
units at the intersection of U.
Route 41 and Wesley Road in LakeForest, Illinois, and
apprehended without incident atapproximately 6.30 p.m., more
than eight hours after theshooting began.
Seven people were killed andforty-eight others were injured
by either bullets or shrapnelduring the attack.
(04:51):
Five of the victims, all adults,died at the scene, and two died
at the hospital.
Mexican authorities have saidtwo men killed at the parade
were natives of the country.
One of these was a 78-year-oldMexican grandfather who was
visiting family in the area, andanother was a 69-year-old man.
Three Jewish victims that werekilled were a 63-year-old woman,
(05:12):
an 88-year-old grandfather, anda 35-year-old woman.
Another was a 64-year-old motherof two.
The victims ranged in age from 8to 88 years old.
Highland Park Hospital reportedthat they were treating 26
people after the shooting, 25being gunshot wounds, with five
later transferred to AvanstonHospital.
One of the wounded victims wasrendered paraplegic.
(05:34):
Additionally, four of theinjured were transported to
Glenbrook Hospital, and severalothers were taken to hospitals
outside of the North ShoreUniversity Medical System
Network.
Highland Park authoritiescollaborated with the FBI,
Illinois State Police, andChicago Police during the
investigation and manhunt.
The police believe only oneshooter was involved, and the
shooting was described asappearing to be very random and
(05:58):
very intentional.
After his arrest, Cremo's homein Highwood, a small suburb just
north of Highland Park, wasraided by FBI agents.
Lake County authorities allegedthat Cremo planned the attack
for weeks, and that he dressedin women's clothing and hid his
facial tattoos in order to fleethe scene after the attack among
panicked parade goers.
(06:18):
Highland Park Mayor NancyRotering said that she believed
that the weapon used in thecrime was obtained legally.
Police seized three rifles, oneshotgun, and one handgun from
Cremo.
Cremo's motives remain unclear.
The London-based Institute forStrategic Dialogue said it
appeared Cremo's extensiveonline presence contained posts
that gravitated toward far rightand neo-fascist ideologies.
(06:41):
A Highland Park rabbi statedthat, three months before the
shooting, Cremo had enteredCentral Avenue Synagogue, a
Chabad house, during thePassover setter and was asked to
leave.
The Chabad house is located twoblocks from where the July 4th
shooting occurred.
However, investigators havedetermined no racial or
religious motivation for theshooting.
Michael Masters, NationalDirector and CEO of the Secure
(07:04):
Community Network headquarteredin Chicago, said, Nothing
overtly we have identified inhis social media post says this
was an anti-Semitic attack, butwe are coordinating with law
enforcement.
Apparently on social media,there are some indications he
was ideating around the Fourthof July for some period of time,
which would indicate this wasnot an attack on one particular
(07:25):
community.
According to experts on Canonand conspiracy theory movements,
Cremo's social media diet, whileextreme, was distinct from the
realm of Canon.
Mike Rothskild, an author whohas written on Canon, said, the
world Cremo lived in was prettyfar off cue.
He was in a 4chan bubble ofironic Nazi and anime memes,
(07:45):
fascist inspired music, and massshooter ideation that basically
consumes nothing but irony andsadness.
Robert Eugene Cremo, the thirdborn September 20th, Twin was
charged on July 5th with sevencounts of first degree murder.
The next day, he confessed tothe shooting.
The Lake County Sheriff's Officesaid that he is being held
without bail.
(08:05):
A preliminary hearing wasscheduled for July 28, 2022,
that the hearing was obviatedwhen a Lake County, Illinois
grand jury indicted Cremo onJuly 27, 2022.
Cremo was indicted on 117 felonycounts.
For each of the seven deceasedvictims, three counts of first
degree murder 21 counts, and foreach of the 48 victims struck by
(08:27):
a bullet or shrapnel, one countof attempted murder 48 counts,
and one count of aggravatedbattery 48 additional counts.
Cremo initially pleaded notguilty, and his trial was
originally set for February2025.
At a June 2024 hearing, it wasanticipated that Cremo would
plead guilty to 55 counts,including seven counts of first
(08:49):
degree murder, and immediatelybe sentenced.
However, during the hearing hedeclined to change his not
guilty plea.
Jury selection for Cremo's trialbegan on February 24, 2025.
That same day, prosecutorsdropped aggravated battery
charges against him.
On March 3, 2025, Cremo pleadedguilty to all 69 counts, just
(09:11):
hours before his trial was setto begin.
His sentencing was set for April23, 2025.
The maximum sentence Cremo couldface in Illinois was
imprisonment for life.
Following his guilty plea, hismother Denise made a quiet
comment in the courtroom thatprompted the judge to halt the
proceedings.
She continued to sit in thecourtroom after a warning from
(09:31):
the judge, but followingproceedings, Denise stormed out
of the Lake County Courthouse.
In an interview with WGN TVoutside the courthouse, she said
that Cremo had no free will tomake his own choices, and he has
never had any outside help.
On April 24, 2025, Cremo wassentenced to seven consecutive
life sentences without thepossibility of parole, plus
(09:54):
2,400 years fifty years on eachof the 48 counts of attempted
murder to be servedconsecutively to the life
sentences.
His sentencing caused anger tothe injured victims inside the
court because Cremo would havepotentially been afforded the
time to address an apology tothem.
During the recess, the state'sattorney told victims that it
was his belief the sentence hadalready been handed down, and
(10:16):
therefore it was too late forCremo to speak during the
hearing.
On April 25th, 2025, Cremo wastransferred to the Stateville
Correctional Center in CrestHill to serve his sentence.
Survivors and their familieshave also filed multiple
lawsuits, including againstSmith and Wesson, the maker of
the semi-automatic rifle used inthe shooting against Illinois
(10:36):
State Police and Cremo's father,Robert Cremo Jr.
Cremo lived in Lake Countythroughout his entire life.
He attended Highland Park HighSchool but dropped out before
his junior year.
At the age of 11, he beganuploading music to the internet.
He has performed under the stagename Awake the Rapper and posted
his albums on Spotify, YouTube,and Apple Music.
(10:58):
Music videos by him on YouTubedepicted mass shootings and
characters being shot by police.
One video was accompanied by thenarration, I need to just do it.
It is my destiny.
The account is no longeravailable.
Cremaux frequently visited anonline message board that
discussed graphic depictions ofdeath.
He posted a video of a beheadingthe week before the shooting.
(11:20):
He had his own Discord server,which was invaded by 4 Chan
users after the shooting and hassince been shut down.
Stephen Harrison of Slatespeculated he had used a
single-purpose account on theEnglish Wikipedia in an
unsuccessful attempt to createan article about himself in 2017
and 2018.
An account with the sameusername created articles about
(11:41):
Cremo on the fandom sitesWikitubia and the Rap Wiki.
A voluble supporter of thenformer President Donald Trump,
Cremo frequented far rightgatherings, often wearing wears
Waldo garb and confrontationallyjoined counter protests.
Cremo signed his name and DonaldTrump's when he waived his right
to trial.
Police records and people whoknew Cremo indicate that he came
(12:02):
from a middle class but troubledhousehold.
When Cremo was two, his motherDenise left him unattended on a
hot August day inside a car withwindows rolled up.
She pleaded guilty to childendangerment and was ordered to
undergo an evaluation at a childadvocacy center.
Between 29 and 2014, policeofficers visited the Cremo's
(12:22):
home nearly 20 times, nine ofwhich involved reports of
domestic violence.
In 2010, Cremo's father, RobertCremo, Jr.
reported that his wife struckhim with a screwdriver, but
later retracted the accusation.
Officers recommended that thecouple go through marriage
counseling or separate.
Cremo's parents no longer livetogether.
Law enforcement identified twoprior encounters with Cremo, a
(12:46):
911 call in April 2019 reportingthat he attempted to commit
suicide in a September 2019incident regarding alleged
threats by Cremo to a familymember.
According to law enforcement,mental health professionals
handled the suicide matter.
In September 2019, police seized16 knives, a dagger, and a sword
from Cremo after a family memberreported to the police that he
(13:09):
planned to kill everyone.
Cremo's father said the weaponswere his, however, and both
parents denied Cremo hadthreatened anyone.
He was not charged with a crimeat the time, but a clear and
present danger report was filedwith the Illinois State Police.
In December that year, Cremoapplied for a firearm owner
identification card Foyd.
(13:29):
It was sponsored by his fatherdue to his young age.
On either occasion, HighlandPark Police could have invoked
Illinois red flag law, whichwould have allowed them to seek
a restraining order preventingCremo from buying guns for up to
six months.
However, they did not pursuethis option.
Just four months later, inJanuary 2020, Illinois State
Police approved Cremo for afirearms permit, and he passed
(13:53):
four background checks whenbuying firearms in 2020 and
2021.
When asked why the clear andpresent danger report did not
prevent Cremo from obtaining aFord card, Illinois State Police
said that Cremo denied that hewould harm himself or others
when questioned.
Moreover, no one, includingfamily, was willing to move
forward on a complaint, or toprovide pertinent information
(14:14):
relating to threats or to mentalhealth, any of which could have
enabled further action by lawenforcement.
His weapon that was used in theshooting was reportedly
purchased online from anotherstore in another state and then
legally shipped to the Red.armsstore in Lake Villa for pickup.
In 2023, a 38-second video ofCremo from a prison phone call
(14:35):
at the Lake County Jail inWaukegan surfaced.
In the video, Cremo claims theshooting was a false flag
operation.
He also claims that hisinterview was a performance and
he was tortured into falsifyingevidence.
The clip was filmed and postedby a woman who identifies
herself as a registered nurse,mental health advocate, and
investigative journalist on herconspiracy theory blog.
(14:58):
Earlier that year, Cremo's videocall privileges were revoked
after he allegedly made a prankcall to a New York Post
reporter, but his privilegeswere reinstated 30 days later.
Cremo's father, 58-year-oldRobert Bob Cremo Jr., who lived
with his son, said that therehad been no warning signs
immediately before the shooting.
He said he does not regretsponsoring his son for an
(15:20):
Illinois Foy card that allowedhis son to legally purchase
weapons even after incidentsthat raised red flags with
police.
Cremo Jr.
described the entire situationas a nightmare, saying the
family is shocked at thebehavior because he believes his
son was raised with good morals.
In an interview with the NewYork Post the day after the
shooting, he denied anyresponsibility or feelings of
(15:42):
guilt over how his son got thegun he used and said that his
son had talked about the 2022Copenhagen Mall shooting and the
22-year-old Danish suspect thenight before allegedly launching
his own massacre.
Cremo Jr.
lived in Highwood throughoutmost of his life and also had
ties to both Highland Park andBuffalo Grove.
He lived with his wife, HighlandPark native Denise Pesna Cremo,
(16:05):
who had a criminal historydating back as far as mid-22.
Police records from Tulane 9 to2014 showed a variety of
domestic disputes between CremoIzai's parents that included
allegations of both verbal andphysical abuse.
In the 1980s and 1990s, CremoJr.
served as the operator of aWhite Hen pantry store in
Highland Park, and in 2008,Cremo Jr.
(16:27):
and his wife launched their ownpantry and deli restaurant not
far from the former White HenPantry.
The location has since beenclosed following the shooting.
On December 16, 2022, Cremo Jr.
was arrested without incidentand charged with seven counts of
reckless conduct in relation tothe shooting.
Lake County State's attorneyEric Reinhardt said that Cremo
(16:48):
Jr.
surrendered to Highwood Police.
The charges are based on Cremosponsoring his then 19-year-old
son's application for a gunlicense in 2019.
The following morning ondecember 17, Cremo Jr.
was released on$50,000 bond.
On february sixteenth, 2023,Cremo Jr.
entered a not guilty plea to thecharges involving the 2019
(17:09):
acquisition of his son's gunlicense.
On November 6th, he pleadedguilty to seven misdemeanor
counts of reckless conduct aspart of a plea deal.
He was sentenced to 60 days injail and two years of probation.
On November 15th, ahead of hisimprisonment, Cremo Jr.
wore a white t-shirt to the LakeCounty Courthouse with large
black letters reading I'm apolitical pawn on the front and
(17:32):
laws, facts, reality.
On the other side, Cremo Jr.
turned the shirt inside outbefore he entered the courtroom.
However, the judge threatened tohold Cremo Jr.
in contempt of the court if hedid it again.
Cremo Jr.'s lawyer, GeorgeGomez, said he did not know the
meaning of his client's t shirt.
When the gunfire stopped,Highland Park was silent.
(17:52):
But that silence didn't last.
In the days that followed, youcould hear the sounds of
something else.
The shuffle of volunteerscarrying candles to vigils, the
hum of voices sharing meals, thesteady rhythm of footsteps at
memorial walks.
They were small sounds, maybebut they were human ones.
Every tragedy leaves wreckagebehind.
The empty seats, the unspokenquestions, the ache that shows
(18:15):
up when the fireworks return.
But what the people of HighlandPark have shown and what every
community touched by violencecontinues to show is that
wreckage isn't the end of thestory.
It's the beginning ofrebuilding.
Rebuilding looks like therapysessions and art projects,
policy debates and school safetydrills, quiet mornings where
people simply choose to keepliving.
(18:36):
We tell stories like this not torelive the pain, but to
understand the cost of ignoringit, and to remember that behind
every headline there are names,faces, and hearts that still
beat with courage.
Maybe the sound of July fourthwill never mean the same thing
again here.
But maybe with time the echoesof that day will fade into
something softer.
Not fear, but resolve.
(18:57):
Not silence, but solidarity.
I'm Thomas, and this has beenHuman Wreckage.
Thank you for listening and forremembering.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.