A synagogue teacher, a Mexican grandfather and the parents of a two-year-old boy found wandering alone are among the seven victims of the July 4 Chicago deadly shooting.
Key points:
- Police have revealed the identities of six of the seven victims of the shooting
- The gunman was on a nearby rooftop when he opened fire at the July 4 parade
- Investigators believe the gunman did not shoot at specific targets, but fired at random
Parents Irina McCarthy, 35, and Kevin McCarthy, 37, were killed when a rooftop sniper fired at U.S. national holiday celebrations.
Her young child, Aiden, separated from her parents in the subsequent chaos.
He was found wandering the street, bleeding and alone, by police.
Aiden’s photo was shared through social media groups in the Chicago area during the hours following the shooting, accompanied by requests to help identify the two-year-old.
That evening he was reunited with his grandparents, who will raise the child.
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“She will have a long way to go to heal, find stability, and finally navigate life as an orphan,” said Irina Colon, who organized a GoFundMe page to support the family.
Another victim was 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo, who was coming from Mexico when he was shot in the parade alongside relatives, some of whom were injured but were expected to survive, according to local media.
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Jacki Sundheim, 63, a teacher at a Highland Park synagogue, was also killed, leaving behind a husband and daughter.
“Jacki’s work, kindness and warmth touched us all,” synagogue leaders wrote in a message on their website.
“There are not enough words to express the depth of our grief over Jacki’s death and our sympathy for her family and loved ones.”
Katherine Goldstein, 64, was the mother of two daughters at age 20, Cassie and Alana.
She attended the parade with her eldest daughter so Cassie could reunite with high school friends, her husband Craig told the New York Times.
Dr. Goldstein said his wife had recently lost his mother and had thought about what kind of arrangements he might wish for when he died.
He said Mrs. Goldstein, an avid bird watcher, wanted to be cremated and her remains scattered in the Montrose Beach area of Chicago, where there is a bird sanctuary.
Stephen Straus, 88, was a financial adviser in Chicago and one of the first observers at the parade, an annual tradition, his grandchildren said.
Relatives of Stephen Strauss, Brooke and Matt, who were married the day before the shooting, left their wedding bouquets in memorial. (AP: Charles Rex Arbogast)
Brothers Maxwell and Tobias Straus described his grandfather as a kind and active man who loved to walk, ride a bike, and attend community events.
“The way he lived life, one would think he was still middle-aged,” Maxwell Straus said.
Officials have not yet identified the seventh victim.
Thirty-nine people were taken to hospital, aged between 14 and 70 years.
Nine people remained hospitalized, where a 69-year-old man remains in critical condition with a gunshot wound.
AP / Reuters
Posted 1 h ago 1 hrs dme, July 6, 2022 at 8:08 AM, updated 3 m ago, 3 minutes ago, July 6, 2022 at 9:18 AM