Honoring the victims of the shooting that occurred on July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois.

Whereas in communities across the country, Independence Day is a time when families, friends, and neighbors gather to celebrate our country’s birth, our freedom, and the ideals that define us as a Nation; Whereas the Independence Day Parade is a grand, patriotic tradition, with marching bands, student groups, boy and girl scout troops, service organizations, and many others representing the best our communities have to offer; Whereas in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022, thousands of joyous spectators lined the Independence Day parade route expectantly waiting for their children and grandchildren, their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to walk by in procession; Whereas, at 10:14 a.m., just moments after the Highland Park Independence Day Parade began, the sense of community elation was shattered by a single person who acquired a gun, climbed a ladder to a rooftop, and fired 80 bullets into the joyous crowd below; Whereas the 7 individuals who lost their lives that day were— (1) Katie Goldstein, age 64, of Highland Park, Illinois, a beloved wife and mother, who was known for her kind, caring personality, and for bringing neighbors delicious baked goods during the holidays; (2) Irina McCarthy, age 35, of Highland Park, Illinois, a wife and mother of 2-year-old Aiden, who met her husband Kevin through their mutual work in the pharmaceutical industry; (3) Kevin McCarthy, age 37, of Highland Park, Illinois, a husband and father of 2-year-old Aiden, who died protecting his son from gunfire; (4) Stephen Strauss, age 88, of Highland Park, Illinois, a brother, husband, father, and grandfather, who was a joke-teller and avid reader and greatly enjoyed the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; (5) Jacquelyn Sundheim, age 63, of Highland Park, Illinois, a kind and caring wife and mother, who was a lifelong member of North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, where she also taught preschool and served as the events coordinator; (6) Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, age 78, of Morelos, Mexico, who was attending the parade with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; and (7) Eduardo Uvaldo, age 69, of Waukegan, Illinois, who was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather; Whereas more than 30 people were wounded by bullets and shrapnel, many grievously injured; Whereas 2-year-old Aiden McCarthy lost both parents and 8-year-old Cooper Roberts had his spinal cord severed, likely to never walk again; Whereas all who attended the parade and who live in Highland Park will be forever changed by this tragedy; Whereas the Highland Park Police Department and the Highland Park Fire Department led dozens of agencies in responding to the shooting with bravery and professionalism, including the Illinois State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, the United States Marshals Service, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, the Chicago Police Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, the Northwest Central Dispatch System, the Regional Emergency Dispatch Center (RED Center), the Glenview Public Safety Dispatch Center, the Highland Park Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), the Deerfield-Bannockburn Fire Protection District, the Northbrook Fire Department, the Winnetka Fire Department, the Northfield Fire Department, the Buffalo Grove Fire Department, the Prospect Heights Fire Department, the Libertyville Fire Department, the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District, the Evanston Fire Department, the Glenview Fire Department, the Lake Bluff Fire Department, the Skokie Fire Department, the Wilmette Fire Department, the Des Plaines Fire Department, Glencoe Public Safety, the Lake Forest Fire Department, the Morton Grove Fire Department, the Park Ridge Fire Department, the Waukegan Fire Department, the Niles Fire Department, the Addison Fire Protection District, the Streamwood Fire Department, the Hanover Park Fire Department, and the police departments of Addison, Antioch, Arlington Heights, Bannockburn, Barrington, Barrington Hills, Bartlett, Berwyn, Buffalo Grove, Carpentersville, Cary, Crystal Lake, Deerfield, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Elmhurst, Evanston, Fox Lake, Franklin Park, Glencoe, Glenview, Grayslake, Gurnee, Hanover Park, Harwood Heights, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Kenilworth, Kildeer, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lake Villa, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Lincolnshire, Lincolnwood, McHenry, Morton Grove, Mount Prospect, Mundelein, Niles, Norridge, North Chicago, North Riverside, Northbrook, Northfield, Palatine, Prospect Heights, Riverwoods, Rolling Meadows, Rosemont, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Park, Schiller Park, Skokie, Streamwood, Vernon Hills, Wauconda, Waukegan, Western Springs, Wheeling, Wilmette, Winnetka, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion; Whereas the emergency responders and the doctors, nurses, and other health care providers at Highland Park Hospital, Glenbrook Hospital, Evanston Hospital, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, and University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital provided professional and dedicated care to the victims; Whereas dozens of volunteer counselors have traveled to North Shore School District 112 and Township High School District 113 to assist the community in beginning the process of healing, having already met with several thousand community members in need of counseling; Whereas the people of Highland Park and across the United States are mourning the seven lives tragically cut short and praying for the full recovery of all those who were injured, both physically and emotionally; Whereas the people of Highland Park and of the United States mourn for all whose lives were stolen and pray for all who have been irreversibly affected by gun violence—whether by mass shootings, violence in our streets, domestic violence, suicide, or accidental shooting; and Whereas Highland Park is strong, and fortunate to be supported by its neighbors and friends both near and far: Now, therefore, be it That the House of Representatives— (1) condemns the horrific, heinous July 4th mass shooting that occurred in Highland Park, Illinois; (2) honors the memory and the lives of the 7 innocent victims who were murdered; (3) offers sincere condolences to all of the residents of Highland Park and Lake County, Illinois, as well as the families, friends, and loved ones affected by this brutal attack; (4) articulates its hope that all those injured by the attack, both physically and emotionally, will recover quickly, and vows to support all those impacted by the violence with the support they may need; (5) honors the courageous actions of the individuals who placed themselves in harm’s way to protect others during this heinous attack; (6) honors the bravery of community members, leaders, law enforcement, first responders, health professionals, and all others who responded to the attack; and (7) expresses admiration for the resolve and courage that the City of Highland Park, its elected leaders, and the community as a whole have demonstrated in the days after the attack and pledges its continued support for the community in the weeks and months ahead.

Summary: This resolution condemns the mass shooting that occurred on July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois, as horrific and heinous. The resolution also honors the memory and the lives of the seven innocent victims who were murdered.