Highland Park Holds Moment Of Silence For Victims Of July 4th Shooting

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Hundreds of people gathered at Port Clinton Square Monday morning to with an moment of silence to mark the one-week anniversary of the mass shooting at the Highland Park Independence Day parade.

The crowd remained solemnly quiet for more than seven minutes starting at 10:14 a.m. — exactly seven days after seven people were shot dead and dozens more were wounded when a lone shooter opened fire from a rooftop overlooking the parade route. Church bells around the community rang out seven times.

A memorial with flowers, candles and chairs with images of the seven victims — Katie Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Steve Straus, Jacki Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza and Eduardo Uvaldo — now sits in the square.

Police barricades were removed from the area over the weekend, allowing business owners to return to the central business district and prepare to reopen.

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After suspending operations on Sunday, the family assistance center and community-led counseling resumed Monday at Highland Park High School after services were extended through Friday, city officials said.

Visitors were asked to enter the high school through the north entrance. City staff said everyone should feel safe accessing the services at the center, regardless of their immigration status.

The center, which offers support and crisis assistance to those affected by last week's violence, is being operated by a partnership of the FBI, American Red Cross, Township High School District 113, Illinois and Lake County emergency management agencies and city government. It is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mayor Nancy Rotering said she was grateful for the help of local state, and federal agencies to extend services at the center, which had previously been scheduled to shutter on Saturday.

“The 4th of July parade welcomes guests of all ages from communities all along the North Shore, and assistance from the experts at the FBI and other agencies is absolutely essential in serving the complex needs of the victims in our diverse community," Rotering said in a statement. "The professionalism and care of these highly-trained individuals, especially crisis counselors, is especially invaluable as our community begins the difficult recovery process.”

The Highland Park Community Foundation continued distributing HP Strong lawn signs at Lincoln School Monday, with plans to continue doing so on Wednesday, according to organizers.

Also on Wednesday, city officials are hosting a community vigil at City Hall, 1707 St. Johns Ave., at 7 p.m. in honor of the victims of the shooting.

Authorities said a 21-year-old Highwood resident legally purchased multiple assault-style rifles, including the one used in the shooting in 2020, and confessed to firing more than 80 rounds into the crowd.

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Rotering on Monday joined Gov. J.B. Pritzker, gun violence survivors and others at a White House ceremony to celebrate the June 25 signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

The bill provides funding for mental health services, violence prevention initiatives and red-flag law implementation, along with 5-year bans on gun purchases for people convicted of domestic violence offenses and expanded background checks for gun purchasers under the age of 21.

During his remarks, President Joe Biden was interrupted by the father of a one of the 14 students killed in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Manuel Oliver called on the president to do more to prevent gun violence before being escorted out of the event, later saying in an interview that he felt a celebration of the bill was inappropriate.

In a statement after the meeting, Rotering said she, J.B. Pritzker and Highland Park Police Commander Chris O'Neill all had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Biden before the event.

"President Biden agreed with us that the Act is a first step to reducing the carnage, diminishing the fear, and alleviating the suffering of the American public — but we need to do more. As President Biden said, 'With rights come responsibilities. We also have a right to live freely.' The conversation regarding Second Amendment rights needs to return to a point where common sense prevails and our values are reflected. The safety and security of the American people cannot wait. While we cannot eliminate every threat, we do have the ability to take action and eliminate weapons of war from our neighborhoods," Rotering said.

"We will not be defined by the 309 mass shootings in 2022. Guns are the number one killer of children in the United States. As the Mayor of Highland Park, I am horrified that our town, like so many others, has been added to an ongoing list - a list that should not even exist. We need a Federal Assault Weapons Ban. Combat weapons have no place on our streets," she said.

"President Biden stated that we need to 'match thoughts and prayers with action.' Perhaps this will mean that the list of towns, cities, and villages can end. We agree with him, 'inaction has taken too long and created too great a toll' and this is not the America we know. It is time for Congress to bring back our nationwide ban on assault weapons and make it even stronger."