'He's mean and manipulative': Alleged Highland Park shooter rejects plea deal he reportedly took outside of court

The gunman accused in the 2022 Highland Park Fourth of July parade shooting has withdrawn from a plea deal reported in court Wednesday morning.

The Lake County State's Attorney's Office said before the hearing that it expected a possible change of plea from the shooter, who initially pleaded not guilty to a total of 117 felony counts. Charge: 21 counts of first degree murder, 48 counts of attempted murder. and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm.

Prosecutors said under the plea deal, the shooter would plead guilty and face reduced charges, including seven counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm. In exchange, he would be sentenced to life in prison without parole and the additional charges of murder and attempted murder would be dropped.

During Wednesday's hearing, Judge Victoria Rossetti asked the shooter – who arrived at the hearing in a wheelchair for unclear reasons – if he had reviewed the plea agreement with his lawyers, to which he did not didn't respond directly. After a brief break, the shooter returned to the courtroom to refuse the plea deal.

Rossetti has set February 24, 2025 as the provisional trial date.

The plea agreement would not only have removed the charges from the record, but it would also have eliminated the need for a trial and testimony from the victims and their families.

The presence of several victims and their families in the courtroom made the plea rejection even more dramatic. Leah Sundheim, the daughter of Jacki Sundheim, one of the victims, spoke at a news conference after the plea was rejected.

“All I wanted to do was fully grieve for my mother, without a trial coming up, knowing he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Sundheim said. “He's evil and manipulative and he probably brought us here to court today knowing what he was going to do.”

“We knew it could happen, but we hoped for the best,” said Karina Mendez, the daughter of Eduardo Uvaldo, one of the victims. “My father was someone who loved his family and we stayed together through all of this, and we are going to continue to stay together and be there for each other throughout this.”

Eric Rinehart, Lake County State's Attorney, made a statement at a news conference after the hearing. He stressed that little comment could be made on the open case, but that the prosecution was working with victims and survivors to help them prepare.

“Our trial team and our team of victim support professionals met with them for as long as necessary in the courtroom,” he said. “It was an unusual but necessary procedure in light of what happened today.”

On July 4, 2022, a gunman fired more than 80 rounds in less than a minute with an assault weapon at parade spectators in downtown Highland Park. He shot more than 50 people, killing seven: Katherine Goldstein, 64, of Highland Park; Irina McCarthy, 35, of Highland Park; Kevin McCarthy, 37, of Highland Park; Stephen Straus, 88, of Highland Park; Jacki Sundheim, 63, of Highland Park; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, of Morelos, Mexico; and Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan.

Authorities apprehended and arrested the shooter about nine hours after the shooting, ultimately approving more than 100 charges, including seven counts of first-degree murder, related to the shooting.

In 2023, the City of Highland Park began a “multi-year process” develop and install a permanent memorial to honor those affected by the shooting. In the aftermath of the tragedy, impromptu memorials were erected near downtown Highland Park. The city then installed an official temporary memorial to the seven victims near the City Hall rose garden. Officials said the memorial will remain until its permanent replacement is completed.

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