Highland Park locals remember Fourth of July shooting victims

Locals of Highland Park came together for a strengthening Fourth of July parade in remembrance of the mass shootings in Highland Park and Chicago that claimed numerous lives during last year's Fourth of July parade.

To commemorate the Fourth of July parade mass shooting's one-year anniversary, residents of Highland Park and Chicago came together today. 

In Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022, a mass shooting took place at 10:14 am during a Fourth of July parade, claiming seven lives while and 48 others were hurt by bullets or shrapnel.

Instead of the traditional Fourth of July parade, these cities held community walks in memory of the victims, which were preceded by a ceremony of remembrance at Highland Park City Hall and other commemorative activities.

"Nobody wanted a parade. It was inappropriate," Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said Tuesday. "But it was important for us to say that evil doesn't win. And this is our parade route, and this is our community that we are taking back."

On July 4, 2023, the occasion serves as a reminder of them.

According to The Economic Times, the number of fatalities from mass shootings in the US has increased over the past year. A mass shooting occurred on the 6500 block of South Martin Luther King Jr Drive on the same day, July 4, 2022.

The Chicago area alone experienced 47 mass shootings between July 4, 2022 and June 30, 2023, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. There were 272 injuries and 46 fatalities as a result.

The city hosted a series of events aimed at giving people "an opportunity to engage with the day and gather as a community in the way that feels most comfortable to them," city communications manager Amanda Bennett said. 

The city approached the event planning with a trauma-informed perspective, Bennett said.

Rotering said a third-grader asked her at City Hall this year: "'Do we ever get to celebrate the Fourth of July?’ And that just really broke my heart for so many of us who've grown up here, who raised our children here, who have wonderful memories."

"There is no reason that this one act of cowardice and hate should take away that joy from this community," she said.

Rotering was set to speak at a ceremony at City Hall that also included a musical performance and a moment of silence at 10:14 am to mark the exact time police say the first shot was fired. Then, attendees walked the parade route.

"The Community Walk will symbolise the reclaiming of the 2022 parade route as we build resiliency together," the city said on its website.

At night, the city planned to have a drone show instead to avoid the "very familiar sounds" of fireworks, Rotering said. "I recognise that for so many in our community, it’s too soon."

There will be no floats, performers, or giveaways.

Reporters were asked not to film in areas affected by gun violence and to avoid running footage from the previous year's event. Media helicopters were also not allowed to fly overhead to capture footage.

Attendees had to register prior to each event, present a QR code, and go through security, so security was strict. According to Ghida Neukirch, city manager, there were over 5,000 people registered for the day.

People who didn't want to attend could also watch the events via Zoom.