Man accused of killing 7 people at Fourth of July parade wants to represent himself

The Supreme Court said Wednesday it will consider whether to restrict access to a widely used abortion drug — even in states where the procedure is still allowed.

The case concerns the drug mifepristone that — when coupled with another drug — is one of the most common abortion methods in the United States.

The decision means the conservative-leaning court will again wade into the abortion debate after overturning Roe v. Wade last year, altering the landscape of abortion rights nationwide and triggering more than half the states to outlaw or severely restrict the procedure.

The new case could be decided by July, inserting the Supreme Court into the middle of the presidential election, where abortion access is once again a key issue.

For now, mifepristone remains available and not subject to restrictions the lower courts have said should be imposed on its use. The high court determined in April that access to the drug would remain unchanged until the appeals process finishes.

The Biden administration and a manufacturer of the drug are asking the justices to reverse a federal appeals court decision that, if allowed to go into effect, would restrict access to the drug. At the same time, groups and doctors that oppose abortion want the justices to go even further than a conservative federal appeals court did and hold that the initial 2000 approval of the drug was also unlawful.

The man suspected of opening fire at a Fourth of July parade – killing seven people and wounding dozens of others in suburban Chicago – is expected to represent himself when he goes on trial early next year.

Robert “Bobby” E. Crimo III is accused of carrying out the 2022 massacre in Highland Park, Illinois. On Monday, Judge Victoria Rossetti set a trial date for February 26, 2024.

These are the lives lost from the Fourth of July parade massacre

Crimo told the judge he wanted to represent himself at trial. Rossetti repeatedly asked the suspect if he understood the consequences of representing himself, and Crimo said he understood he will not have access to an attorney or assistance from the court during the trial.

The judge had been preparing attorneys for a February 2025 date before Crimo indicated in the middle of the hearing he wanted a speedy trial. She told the court she expects the trial to last four to six weeks.

Crimo, who was 21 at the time of the mass shooting, is accused of firing with a rifle from a rooftop during the holiday parade. He has pleaded not guilty to 117 criminal charges, including 21 counts of first-degree murder, three counts for each deceased victim.

Along with the seven people killed, 38 others were injured during the shooting, officials said.