Suspect in parade shooting near Chicago to appear in court as questions mount over how he legally obtained firearms

2-year-old boy survives Highland Park massacre but is orphaned 0:45

(CNN) --

The man suspected of killing seven people and injuring dozens at a Fourth of July parade near Chicago is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday.

And as another community reels after a shocking mass shooting, this time on Independence Day, local officials have begun to question how the suspect was able to purchase weapons given his previous run-ins with police.

• Mexican in the Highland Park shooting recounts the terror she and her family experienced during the attack

Robert E. Crimo III, 21, faces seven counts of first-degree murder "because of the murder spree he has unleashed on our community," Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart said at a news conference Thursday. Tuesday.

A conviction would result in a life sentence without parole, he said.

“These are just the first of many charges that will be brought against Mr. Crimo.

I want to emphasize that,” Rinehart said, and prosecutors will ask a judge to deny bail.

The suspect, according to authorities, opened fire from the roof of a building in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park as the parade was starting shortly after 10 a.m. CT Monday.

More than 70 high-velocity rounds were fired from a rifle "similar to an AR-15," according to Chris Covelli, spokesman for the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, and the shooter then fled the area.

2-year-old boy survives Highland Park massacre but is orphaned 0:45

Five of the individuals shot at the parade were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said, and two people hospitalized succumbed to their injuries.

A total of 39 patients were transported to medical facilities "either by ambulance or other means," according to Jim Anthony of NorthShore University Health System, and nine patients, ranging in age from 14 to 70, remain hospitalized. until Tuesday afternoon.

Crimo allegedly had another rifle in his vehicle when police took him into custody hours after the shooting, Covelli said, and other firearms were recovered from his residence in nearby Highwood.

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Authorities believe Crimo planned the attack for weeks, and the rifle used appears to have been purchased legally in Illinois, he said.

• Robert E. Crimo III, suspect in shooting near Chicago, charged with 7 counts;

  could face life in prison

However, information released by state and local police shows that police had previously heard reports about the suspect for threats of violence and mental health issues.