Father of Highland Park shooting suspect should accept role in tragedy

Robert Crimo Jr., the father of the accused Highland Park shooting suspect, said he had “zero” involvement with the crime that left seven people dead and dozens others wounded. I would disagree. He signed an adult consent for his namesake son’s Firearm Owners Identification Card application, because he was a minor. He did so after his son tried to commit suicide and then threatened to “kill everyone.”

While Robert Crimo III was a teenager, he bought a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semiautomatic rifle, the same weapon that fell out of his backpack as he ran and was recorded on video, the same weapon used to kill and wound dozens.

The father says he has no regrets signing the FOID form. Well, maybe he should. Robert Crimo III bought that rifle with the help of that signature that led to a mass shooting that left over 80 shell casings. Robert Crimo Jr. should look in the mirror. He needs to have empathy and common decency. I’m sure the victims in Highland Park would at least appreciate that.

Richard Barber, Mount Greenwood

A thank you to health care workers during veteran’s last days

Our father and father-in-law passed away on June 14.

The loving care he and we received during his medical treatment, and even more importantly, during his 14-day hospice stay, was so significantly above and beyond what we expected, that we think it is important for Americans to learn about our experience and be proud of how these professionals treated this veteran.

John J. Volpi served during the Korean War. He was a proud veteran and he passed in his sleep while at the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital in Hines, Illinois.

We can’t imagine or ever understand what being part of a medical staff in a large hospital system with so much public scrutiny is like, nor what the exhaustion and stress and anxiety of doing so during a pandemic does to those individuals and their families.

We didn’t know or feel any of that. They never acted too tired, too busy, too important to answer questions, check on John, or offer us comfort and reassure us when carrying out John’s wishes.

John’s last journey took him to the ER, the 9th floor and 11th floor. The men and women who worked on and carried out their responsibilities on those floors will be people we admire and respect for the rest of our lives. We are grateful to them. They made John’s transition from this life to the next one a journey that began and ended with respect for his life and his service.

To all of them: We will never know how to thank you properly. We thank all of you, for your service.

Scott and Kathy Volpi, Schaumburg