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By Sophia Tareen

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) — The man accused of killing seven people at a 2022 Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago was denied his constitutional right to legal representation while being questioned by police hours after the shooting, defense attorneys said in court Thursday .

Authorities said Robert Crimo III confessed to the shooting that also left dozens injured. But his defense lawyers are seeking to have statements he made to police barred from the trial, which is expected to begin in February.

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The nearly three-hour hearing offered a glimpse of evidence expected at trial, including police testimony, photographs and video footage of statements Crimo made to police.

Crimo, 24, pleaded not guilty to all charges, including multiple counts of first-degree murder. He did not speak during Thursday’s hearing. Wearing a dark blue prison jumpsuit, he entered the court and flashed a two-fingered gesture to the room, which is often interpreted as a “victory” or “peace” sign.

Defense attorneys said Crimo’s relatives detained a lawyer waiting in the lobby of the police station on the evening of the shooting, but police did not allow Crimo to meet him.

“He is never told that he has his lawyer, a lawyer retained for him,” public defender Greg Ticsay said in court. “It is clear that he was never given access. They violated his rights to a fair trial.”

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But prosecutors dismissed the charges, saying Crimo willingly cooperated after being offered phone calls, notifying his attorney in the lobby and reading him his Miranda rights several times.

“He knew why he was there. He knew what they were going to ask him about,” Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Jeff Facklam said. “He knew what right he was giving up.”

Prosecutors presented video clips of the police interview. Crimo was asked several times if he understood his Miranda rights, which include the right to remain silent and have an attorney present.

“I can read you from memory,” Crimo said on the tape.

Lake County Circuit Court Judge Victoria Rossetti said she would issue a written ruling at a later date.

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The case has been slow for months, partly because of Crimo’s unpredictable behavior.

He had failed to appear at two previous hearings, refusing to leave his cell at the Lake County Jail. At a hearing in June where he was expected to accept a plea deal and give victims and relatives a chance to address him publicly, he reversed course and rejected the deal. He also fired his public defenders and said he would represent himself. Then it suddenly reversed.

Dozens of people were injured in the shooting, including an 8-year-old boy who was left partially paralyzed. Witnesses described initial confusion when the shooting began, followed by panic as families fled the parade route through downtown Highland Park, an affluent suburb of about 30,000 people near Lake Michigan.

Those killed in the attack were Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78 years old; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35.

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