Hours after the shooting during the US Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Chicago, last Monday (4), residents of the area mobilized to find the family of a two-year-old boy who was found alone and smeared with blood in the midst of the rush of people fleeing the attack.
Groups and social media were flooded with photos of Aiden McCarthy, 2, to see if anyone had a clue where his parents were. Confirmation came this Tuesday (5): Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, are among the seven murdered in the parade. The baby was given to the grandparents.
“Following the July 4th Highland Park shooting, the North Shore community came together to help a boy we knew nothing about. We took him to safety under tragic circumstances, gathered to locate his grandparents and prayed for safety of his family,” wrote Irina Colon, an American who created a fundraising campaign for the boy.
“Unfortunately, I need to share his name… Aiden McCarthy. And he needs our help more. His parents Irina and Kevin were killed during the 4th of July shooting. At two, Aiden is in an unimaginable position: growing up without the parents.” The kitty has already raised US$ 1.2 million dollars.
Four other victims were identified on Tuesday: Mexican Nicolas Toledo, 78, who was in town visiting relatives — some of whom were also injured; teacher Jacki Sundheim, 63, who taught at a synagogue; Katherine Goldstein, 64, and Stephen Straus, 88, about whom there are no details. There is still no information on the name of the seventh person killed in the attack.
On Tuesday, the Illinois State Attorney’s Office indicted Robert E. Criminal 3rd, 21, with seven first-degree murders. He could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, said prosecutor Eric Reinhart, who added that further charges should be brought in the course of the investigation. “We anticipate dozens of indictments more focused on each of the victims,” ​​he said.
The prosecutor said he will ask, at the suspect’s first court appearance, scheduled for Wednesday (6), that Crimo remain in detention without bail.
Authorities said the suspect fired more than 70 times from a rooftop at random at people watching the parade and then fled dressed in disguise to blend in with the panicked crowd. The shooting took place in a neighborhood with a large Jewish population, but police say they still have no evidence that the attack took place on anti-Semitic or racist grounds.
Police reported that they had already responded to other incidents involving Crimo, the most significant of which was in September 2019, when they seized 16 knives, a dagger and a sword after responding to a threat call. No one was arrested at the time, police said, because there was no formal complaint.
Authorities on Tuesday detailed the escape and arrest of the suspect, who mingled with the crowd fleeing the attack and went to his mother’s house nearby, where he borrowed his car, police said. From there, he drove to neighboring Wisconsin and even made it back to Illinois before being pulled over and arrested on Monday.
Crimo had in the car a high-powered rifle similar to the one used in the shooting, similar to an AR-15. In addition, he was carrying other weapons, all purchased legally in Illinois, officials said. In all, he had purchased five firearms, including rifles and revolvers.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said the town of 30,000 had been completely shaken. “This tragedy should never have come to our doorstep,” she told NBC News. “As it’s a small town, everyone knows someone who has been directly affected by this, and of course, we’re all still reeling,” she said. President Joe Biden has ordered US flags to be flown at half-mast in mourning until sunset next Saturday.
On Tuesday, the city’s main street remained blocked by police, preserving the scene of the crime, with a baby stroller, a tricycle and some folding chairs abandoned at the scene. Doctor David Baum, who participated in the rescue operations, recounted the horror he witnessed. “The terrifying sight of some bodies is unbearable for a normal person,” he told AFP, detailing that the victims were torn apart or their bodies riddled with bullets.
