One year after a shooter terrorized attendees at a Fourth of July parade in Chicago suburb Highland Park, community members came together Tuesday to honor the seven people who died, commemorate the day and reclaim the room to move on.
The city was hosting a series of events intended to give people “an opportunity to participate in the day and come together as a community in whatever way is most comfortable for them,” city communications manager Amanda Bennett said last month. . The city approached planning for the event with a trauma-informed perspective, Bennett said.
“Nobody wanted a parade. It was inappropriate,” Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering said Tuesday. “But it was important for us to say that evil does not win. And this is our parade route, and this is our community that we’re taking back.”
Rotering said a third-grader asked him at town hall this year, “’Can we celebrate the 4th of July sometime?’ And that really broke my heart for so many of us who grew up here, who raised our children here, who have wonderful memories. There is no reason for this single act of cowardice and hate to take away the joy of this community,” he said.
Rotering was scheduled to speak at a City Hall ceremony that will also include a musical performance and a moment of silence at 10:14 a.m. to mark the exact time police say the first shot was fired. Attendees can then walk the parade route.
“The Community Walk will symbolize the recovery of the 2022 parade route as we build resiliency together,” the city said on its website.
At night, the city planned to have a drone show to avoid the “very familiar sounds” of fireworks, Rotering said.
“I recognize that for many in our community it is too soon.”
There will be no floats, performers or giveaways.
Media helicopters were not allowed to fly overhead to capture images; Reporters were asked not to film in areas affected by gun violence and to avoid reproducing footage from last year’s event.
Security was tight: attendees had to sign in before each event, show a QR code, and go through security. More than 5,000 people registered for the day, according to City Manager Ghida Neukirch.
People who did not want to attend could also view the events via zoom.
