Mother and her 8-year-old twins wounded in Highland Park parade massacre, family friend says

Cooper Roberts is without doubt one of the youngest victims of the mass taking pictures that befell throughout a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park earlier this week. The bullet that pierced the 8-year-old’s chest severed his backbone. 

Anthony Loizzi, a household buddy, struggled to explain his situation.

“He is undergone a number of surgical procedures since Monday, together with one final evening throughout which medical doctors had been lastly in a position to shut up his stomach,” he mentioned. 

Roberts’ mom was additionally shot within the leg, and his twin brother was hit by shrapnel. Roberts, who loves sports activities, is now on a ventilator.

“It’ll be a brand new regular for him going ahead,” Loizzi mentioned. “They don’t seem to be certain because of the severed spinal wire whether or not or not he’ll be capable of stroll once more.”

Days after chaos erupted in the course of the Fourth of July celebration, components of the parade route are nonetheless frozen in time. On Thursday, FBI brokers loaded strollers, garden chairs and different objects right into a U-Haul sure for a misplaced and located. 

Larry Spatz knew sufferer Jacki Sundheim properly — she was his daughter’s preschool instructor 20 years in the past. Sundheim turned his daughter’s shut buddy and confidant. 

“My daughter is devastated,” he mentioned. “We’re supporting her, however we’re additionally hurting. My spouse and I, we’re additionally hurting.”

Additionally Thursday, a memorial was constructed close to the bloodbath, and subsequent to a Vietnam Battle memorial.

The Highland Park neighborhood is devastated however stays decided. College students spent the day making shirts with a message of power. They’re members of the native group Service And Studying Collectively (aka SALT), an outlet for prime schoolers to offer again to the neighborhood. 

“Because it occurred, we had been like what can we do,” mentioned Jagger Barnes, a neighborhood highschool scholar. “We needed to take motion to not solely heal personally, but additionally assist heal the neighborhood.”