Highland Park shooting victims remembered for kindness, warmth; 7th victim ID’d

HIGHLAND PARK, Ailing. (WLS) — The scene of the bloodbath in Highland Park is lastly beginning to return to regular, as particles — chairs and strollers that had been left behind within the chaos amid a taking pictures that took the lives of seven and injured dozens extra — is cleaned up.

However the affect of those losses stretches far and broad. Victims ranged from 35 to 88 years outdated. These had been moms, fathers and grandparents.

Officers Tuesday recognized six of the victims killed within the Highland Park parade taking pictures on the Fourth of July, and the seventh was recognized by the Prepare dinner County health worker Wednesday.

Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, of Waukegan died simply after 7:45 a.m. Wednesday morning, the health worker’s workplace mentioned.

The retiree went to the Highland Park Fourth of July parade along with his spouse, two of his daughters, and his grandkids. He was shot at the back of his head and died from his accidents a day after the assault.

Uvaldo’s spouse and grandson had been additionally injured, however are recovering. His household is combating the lack of their patriarch, and questioning why somebody would do one thing like this.

“He was a loving grandfather, a loving father,” mentioned Jackie Tapia, household good friend. “All people is devastated.”

Not less than 39 individuals had been injured after police mentioned a shooter opened fireplace on the parade from a rooftop.

The Lake County Coroner recognized the opposite six victims killed as:

• Katherine Goldstein, 64, of Highland Park
• Irina McCarthy, 35, of Highland Park
• Kevin McCarthy, 37, of Highland Park
• Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63, of Highland Park
• Stephen Straus, 88, of Highland Park
• Nicolas Toledo-Zargoza, 78 of Morelos, Mexico

Toledo-Zargoza’s household mentioned he had labored across the Highland Park space for a few years after arriving within the U.S. within the Eighties.

He was retired and lived in Mexico, however would come throughout the summer time to spend time along with his children and grandchildren. That is who he attended Monday’s parade with.

“All the pieces occurred so quick,” mentioned his granddaughter Xochil Toledo, who requested for her face to be hidden when she spoke with ABC7.

She’s now haunted by reminiscences of seeing her grandfather so elated so shortly earlier than his demise.

“We had been telling my grandpa to clap, however since he cannot clap he was transferring his little fingers round,” she mentioned.

That is her final reminiscence of him alive. However earlier than she even acknowledged the sounds she heard had been gunfire, every thing modified.

“Once I see blood scattered on me, that is once I knew issues had been getting critical,” she mentioned. “I look behind me and my grandpa’s on the ground. He had handed away. And my dad was proper subsequent to him hugging him. Would not go away his facet. And that is once I knew my grandpa had handed away.”

Gerardo Toledo leaped to attempt to save his father, however the bullets had been quicker.

“He is dying in seconds, you already know?” he mentioned.

They mentioned he was the primary particular person shot, and died proper there on the parade route, surrounded by his household.

A funeral service for Toledo-Zaragoza might be held at 5 to eight p.m. Friday at Iglesia Emanuel in Waukegan.

Katie Goldstein is being glowingly remembered as “all people’s finest good friend.” Nobody has ever met anybody nicer, her husband mentioned.

Calling her an “extraordinary particular person,” pals mentioned Goldstein was an avid chook watcher who liked visiting the Chicago Botanic Backyard. She was additionally a terrific prepare dinner who was at all times experimenting with new recipes.

Her demise, together with the six others, moved Mary Bernier to put seven handcrafted wooden shrines, one for every sufferer, on the city’s rising memorial to supply a spot of solace and therapeutic for the group.

Irina and Kevin McCarthy’s 2-year-old son was discovered wandering alone within the wake of the taking pictures Monday, and safely reunited along with his grandparents.

Toddler discovered alone after Highland Park taking pictures misplaced each mother and father in bloodbath

“Once we pulled in, it appeared just like the cops had been preparing for battle; I will always remember. I pulled up, and I mentioned ‘this isn’t our child. It is not his blood; he is OK. What ought to we do?’ And the cop mentioned, ‘we won’t be babysitters now; are you able to deal with him?’ We mentioned, ‘in fact,” parade-goer Greg Ring mentioned.

Now the group is making an attempt to rally across the little boy, elevating greater than $2 million on GoFundMe web page in simply two days. Each mother and father had been solely of their thirties and their son is left along with his grandparents.

“He did not know,” Adrienne Rosenblatt, neighbor of the victims, mentioned. “I do not understand how they’ll inform him. How do you inform any 18-month-old boy that mommy and daddy are in heaven now?”

Stephen Straus was a monetary adviser who nonetheless took the prepare each day to his workplace at a brokerage agency in Chicago, his household mentioned.

“He was an honorable man who labored his complete life,” a niece mentioned. “He mustn’t have needed to die this manner.”

The North Shore Congregation Israel confirmed that Sundheim was a lifelong synagogue congregant and employees member.

Buddies mentioned her kindness cannot be forgotten.

“She simply had a smile on her face on a regular basis,” Howard Miller, Sundheim’s good friend and colleague. “She was in all probability the final one out of right here each night time. Simply could not discover a lovelier particular person.”

In a press release, the congregation mentioned, “…our beloved Jacki Sundheim was one of many victims murdered on the Highland Park parade.”

They went on to name her a cherished member recognized for her kindness and heat.

A memorial service for Sundheim might be held Friday at 11 a.m. at North Shore Congregation Israel, adopted by a shiva from midday to three p.m.

President Joe Biden, First Woman Dr. Jill Biden ‘shocked’ by Highland Park parade taking pictures

Amongst some 39 individuals wounded or injured within the assault had been Chicago Public Colleges instructor Zoe Kolpack and her husband, Steven.

Though their kids weren’t damage, the educator’s father and brother-in-law had been additionally shot and wounded. Kolpack teaches at Dever Elementary.

CPS mentioned in a press release, “Chicago Public Colleges (CPS) is devastated to be taught that one among our CPS academics and her members of the family are amongst those that had been injured in Monday’s mass taking pictures in Highland Park. We’re pondering of our William Dever Elementary colleague and her household, in addition to all these impacted by this tragedy. CPS officers have been involved with the instructor and her household and our disaster workforce and assist companies might be out there to assist the Dever Elementary employees and college students as wanted.”

Highland Park hospital officers mentioned 9 individuals remained hospitalized Tuesday, ranging in age from 14 to their 70s.

SEE MORE: Alleged Highland Park shooter anticipated in bond court docket Wednesday after homicide fees filed

4 are in good situation, 4 stay steady and one, a 69-year-old man, is in vital situation. Eight of the 9 sufferers had been shot.

One affected person, an 8-year-old boy, was taken to College of Chicago Comer Kids’s Hospital.