Eric Rinehart (00:03):
Good morning. My name is State's Attorney Eric Rinehart R-I-N-E-H-A-R-T, and I will have a statement today, along with Highland Park Mayor, Nancy Rotering. We will take a few questions.
(00:17)
Today is about the victims and survivors of the Highland Park July 4th parade shooting. Our community may never heal from the defendant's calculated and heinous actions that destroyed so many lives. But today is an important step towards justice. Today is about Katie Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Strauss, Jackie Sundeim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo, and the 48 others who were physically hurt, who bled, who cried, who may never heal. Today is also about the hundreds who still remember and feel the trauma from that awful day, a day that should have been about celebration and freedom, about returning to normalcy after the pandemic, but became a day of anguish and bloodshed because of this offender's actions.
(01:17)
This morning, the shooter in the Highland Park trial pled guilty to 21 counts of first degree murder and 48 counts of attempted first degree murder. Let me be clear, this was not a negotiation. This was not a deal. He made a free decision to plead guilty to every single count that this trial team and this law enforcement team was about to present to this jury. He received nothing in exchange for this plea today. We were 1000% ready to go to trial and to prove him guilty to the jury. We have been working for years to prepare our evidence, which includes DNA testing, fingerprint identification, firearm records, video evidence, identification evidence that put him in the alley, walking up to the roof, that put him on the roof, and that had him descending from the roof right after the shooting. We were also prepared to present his voluntary confession that he gave that day to law enforcement. His admissions that he made at that time would've confirmed every piece of physical evidence, trajectory analysis, ballistics reports, DNA conclusions and eyewitness testimony.
(02:35)
The Lake County State's Attorney's office continues to express its condolences to all who lost a loved one and to all who were so affected physically and psychologically. Our Victim Services Division remains dedicated, even today after this plea of guilty to every count, to uplifting victims and connecting them to any resources that they may need. Our team is available, ready, and willing to accompany through each step as we prepare for sentencing. Our team still stands with you.
(03:06)
I want to acknowledge the heroes that day, some of whom are behind me, that ran towards the gunfire, first responders, police, EMTs, fire department professionals, and civilians, community members, residents, regular people, all of whom helped others without hesitating. Their bravery and their sacrifices stand in stark contrast to the decisions that the defendant made. Every member of law enforcement, the City of Highland Park, thank you, Mayor Rotering, the FBI, the Illinois State Police, the government of Lake County, law enforcement throughout Lake County, and this state's attorney's office has met every moment since 10:14 AM on July 4th, 2022.
(03:55)
Justice in the legal system does not descend upon a case, it is earned. It comes from the bravery of every victim and every surviving family member who was prepared to come forward in this trial and they will come forward in this sentencing hearing. Justice comes from the hours of victim support that Highland Park and our federal partners provided to those in need. It comes from victim support professionals and administrative support that hundreds of dedicated government employees have provided to thousands of people in Lake County. It comes from the tireless law enforcement professionals who never stopped to make sure that the truth would reach a courtroom. And the truth reached that courtroom today when he pled guilty. Justice comes from the amazing men and women who stand behind me and were ready to bring justice and truth into this courtroom.
(04:50)
I want to specifically thank a few people in my office because it is absolutely necessary. I want to thank Ben Dillon, Jeff Facklam, Lauren Kalcheim-Rothenberg, Eric Colada, Melissa Cisneros, Melissa Burke, Dawn Patch, Jacqui Reedy, Jackie Herrera-Heron and Vanessa Vargas-Ramirez, as well as Jack Metcalf, Lexi Brown and J. B. Brooks. This team of dedicated professionals was completely ready today and would have gone forward for the next three to five weeks in bringing this case into the courtroom. This journey will not end for many. We will move next to sentencing and continue to provide support and help for anyone in need. Thank you.
Nancy Rotering (05:36):
Good morning. I'm Nancy Rotering, N-A-N-C-Y R-O-T-E-R-I-N-G, mayor of the City of Highland Park. I just want to share that our thoughts and our hearts remain with the families whose loved ones were senselessly taken, those who were injured, and everyone whose lives were forever changed by this horrific act. Today's guilty plea is an important step towards justice, but it does not erase the pain. We share our deep appreciation and admiration for Lake County State's Attorney, Eric Rinehart and his entire team for their tireless work to pursue justice on behalf of the Highland Park community. We also express our thanks to the first responders, the law enforcement officers and the hospital personnel for their professionalism throughout this entire investigation. We are confident in our legal system and we recognize that there are milestones ahead. We continue to stand together and remain committed to supporting the victims, their families, and our entire community as we move forward together as one Highland Park. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Mr Rinehart, could you talk about how much this caught you by surprise, whether you had any expectations that this might happen today?
Eric Rinehart (06:47):
We were prepared to present overwhelming evidence of the defendant's guilt. This happens from time to time in our criminal justice system, in big cases and in small cases, as the defendant gets closer and closer to trial. This has happened before, this will happen again in all size of cases. And we were prepared to present all of our evidence.
Speaker 4 (07:10):
When did you first get some kind of idea that he was interested in pleading guilty?
Eric Rinehart (07:14):
We learned this morning.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
And how?
Julian (07:16):
Did he show and how remorse or did he give any explanation for his decision today?
Eric Rinehart (07:21):
Everything that you saw in the courtroom, Julian, was what happened. I'll let other people characterize that right now. We are going to have a sentencing hearing that will address some of those topics. He answered questions from the judge and people observe that part of it. I'm not going to characterize him or really think about that.
Speaker 6 (07:40):
Can you speak to the mother's outburst? What was she referring to when she said there was some agreement? Is that just-
Eric Rinehart (07:47):
There's no agreement at all.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
It's just made up?
Eric Rinehart (07:49):
Yes. Yeah, there is no agreement whatsoever. He pled guilty to every single count. He walked into the courtroom through his attorneys, who are incredibly experienced defense attorneys, who have represented him for years. The mother is not a lawyer, she doesn't represent him. We have a justice system that has put lawyers in charge of those matters and he pled guilty.
Speaker 7 (08:11):
What was the deal with the juror this morning? There was a-
Eric Rinehart (08:14):
I'm not going to comment on the juror today.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
But did you know at that time when you were dealing with that that he was going to change his mind?
Eric Rinehart (08:20):
We learned this morning from his defense attorneys that that was happening. The reason we selected six alternates was in case an issue came up with the jury over the weekend, and I'm not going to comment on that.
Speaker 8 (08:32):
Mr. Rinehart, can you explain the dropping of charges, the aggravated battery charges, why those were dropped last week?
Eric Rinehart (08:38):
A few days, last week?
Speaker 8 (08:39):
Last week, yes.
Eric Rinehart (08:40):
So the aggravated battery charges were lesser includeds. They were the exact same counts as the 48 attempt murder that he pled guilty to today. The attempt murder for the 48 individuals who were hit covered 26 to 50 years, the aggravated battery were the identical victims and were lesser charges. He attempted to murder the people at Port Clinton Square. He attempted to murder the people who were at that parade and those aggravated battery counts were about a lesser count. It was never going to affect his total time in prison.
Speaker 8 (09:15):
But they were on before and then they were removed. Is that just a strategic decision or why? Just explain for the people who don't understand [inaudible 00:09:22].
Eric Rinehart (09:22):
Sure. Yeah, absolutely. There is a mountain of evidence in this case. It was going to be three to five weeks. With these being lesser charges and being the identical 48 victims as the 48 attempt murder charges, we wanted to present this to the jury and not debate whether shooting somebody is attempt murder. He attempted to murder every single person that he shot at at that parade and those are the top charges, and so they're literally lesser, they're called lesser included. Check with all your legal experts, Google lesser includeds.
Speaker 9 (09:56):
Mr. Rinehart, can you speak to the witnesses who have been preparing for this day anxiously awaiting this trial and now there won't be a trial. Just kind speak to what's next for them and your are involvement with that.
Eric Rinehart (10:09):
Yeah, since the plea was accepted by Judge Rossetti, we've been meeting with the victims. We will continue to meet with the victims I assume over the rest of today, tomorrow, as long as it takes. People are having different reactions. People expected, appropriately expected to be in trial for the next three to five weeks. I have not been a victim of shooting. I can't imagine exactly what they were going through. But I've talked to all of them and everybody is having different reactions. I don't want to really present one overall reaction. But this is a final verdict on 69 counts.
(10:44)
Let me be clear. If we had gone all the way to trial, gone through closing arguments and the jury walked back into the room and delivered 69 counts of guilty, it is the exact same legal effect as when she accepted 69 counts of guilty today. So that has a feeling, I think that is having an impact on people in terms of the timing, but the finality of it is the same, and we didn't just do a trial on those topics. He pled guilty to all 69 counts, the exact same 69 counts that were about to be presented to the jury. They are the top charges, they are the highest charges, and they cover the years that the court discussed.
Speaker 10 (11:27):
Will the survivors get a chance to address him at the sentencing?
Eric Rinehart (11:30):
Yes, thank you. Good question. We will have a sentencing hearing, I think it's set for April 23rd. I believe she set that as sentencing. There can sometimes be status dates in between. If that were to happen, that's in the normal course of business, at that sentencing hearing, victims and survivors will be able to make what are called victim impact statements, as they are appropriately guaranteed under the Illinois Victim's Bill of Rights, and so they will be able to give statements.
Speaker 11 (11:57):
Can you speak to the father's conviction, and a lot of people were disappointed that he was only in jail for a short period of time, but in your opinion, was that a deterrent to other parents across the country who are-
Eric Rinehart (12:10):
The evidence was going to show that he acquired this weapon in February of 2020, two and a half years later, two years and four months later, he engaged in the shooting that he just pled guilty to today, and it is that timeframe. You have to have recklessness, which is what the dad's thinking at the time that he helps him get the firearm, and then you have to have something called causation. Please talk to your legal experts and Google causation. You have to have causation and recklessness.
(12:38)
The issue in that trial was going to be about those two and a half years, whether the father was still criminally responsible for that time period. Of course he is, and that's why we charged him with a felony. But you can see in other cases, whether it's Georgia or in Michigan, shorter time frames. So the two and a half years establishes the absolute, in my opinion, the absolute outside period of criminal liability. Of course, it could be three years. I'm not making the legal argument. It establishes the absolute outside of criminal liability, but in Georgia and in Michigan and in other places, you see that condensing and there is even more responsibility. So I think to tell parents that you will be held criminally responsible for the decisions that you make regarding allowing people to get firearms is a critical thing and it is a way to begin to solve the problem of gun violence in this country.
Speaker 12 (13:33):
You we're expecting to be here back in June. Back in June, you were expecting to have a plea and now you're here today. In the intervening time, is there a sense that you are missing that opportunity to make the case in public, in front of the judge to get jurors to side with you, or how do you feel about the time and the resources that you had to put towards this?
Eric Rinehart (13:58):
We were prepared for this trial in so many different ways. We have been working for years to present this. We didn't stop working back in June. We all came back to our office and kept working back then. We've been working ever since then and before that, and obviously we believe that what we were about to present to the jury was absolutely going to convict him. And I don't think about his decision making process except to make sure that it followed the rules that the judge wanted to hear.
Speaker 13 (14:26):
We're going to allow for Mayor Rotering. If you have questions for Mayor Rotering, State's Attorney Rinehart's going to take a break, if you have questions for Mayor Rotering-
Speaker 12 (14:36):
I do have a question. If you could explain what it's like for yourself, but also your community to have, is there any sense of relief or closure today? And what resources are available for folks that might need them now?
Nancy Rotering (14:48):
Thanks for that question. We continue to provide access to mental health care. That's been a huge priority of ours since this occurred when 1,200 people were going to get mental health care each day in the aftermath. I think for everybody who came to that parade, they came with different experiences and different emotions. Those who left had different impacts. I think there's a sense of relief that justice has been served. Everybody is eternally grateful to the state's attorney for the incredible work that he and his team have been doing. They've been doing unbelievable work with the victims in terms of providing support services, and I think at this moment we're all just sort of surprised and relieved that they don't have to experience the unbelievable pain of reliving this experience for the next three to five weeks. Thank you.
Speaker 14 (15:34):
So this is a better outcome for [inaudible 00:15:36]?
Nancy Rotering (15:36):
1000%. Absolutely. They were ready. This team had prepared them. And seeing their faces today and the hugs between everybody, it was abundantly clear that they have really been here to support each other, as the city has been as well, and now I think there's a sense of, "Let's continue on our journey and put this behind us."
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I was going to ask you, you kind of touched on it a moment ago, but that had to be something a lot of them were dreading going through that experience, watching it in the trials, seeing the videos, and you touched on the relief, but can you expand on that for a moment?
Nancy Rotering (16:09):
Well, my understanding is the evidence would've been as horrible as you would imagine the evidence of this kind of crime would've been for those people who experienced it, to have to relive and be re-traumatized to me is untenable. And so we're grateful to the state's attorney's office for the incredible work they did that led us to this outcome. Thank you.
Eric Rinehart (16:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 15 (16:31):
Hey, Eric, what's-
Speaker 13 (16:32):
With that, there's no more questions for today. If you have other questions pertaining to anything having to do with the trial, Sarah Avalos will continue to be your contact going forward and you can reach out to her office. Thank you all so much for your attention.
Nancy Rotering (16:45):
Thank you.
Eric Rinehart (16:45):
Thank you, all.
Nancy Rotering (16:45):
That okay?
Speaker 13 (16:45):
Yeah.