HJ0097 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HJ0097 LRB102 29233 LAW 41187 r

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On Monday, July 4, 2022, the City of Highland Park and thousands of its residents and neighbors gathered for its annual Fourth of July parade; and

WHEREAS, For generations, Highland Park has hosted this parade, one of the largest Fourth of July gatherings in the northern suburbs of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, At 10:14 a.m., tragedy struck as an alleged lone gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at the intersection of 2nd Street and Central Avenue in downtown Highland Park; and

WHEREAS, In less than one minute, the assailant shot 83 bullets into the crowd, killing 7 and injuring dozens; and

WHEREAS, As residents ran from the gunfire, placed their bodies over their loved ones, and sought safety, first responders who had come to watch the parade put themselves in harm's way; and

WHEREAS, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and community volunteers rushed to the scene and bravely worked side by side with fire and police personnel and medical professionals, helping to save lives through their quick action; and

WHEREAS, Law enforcement officers from Highland Park and hundreds of others throughout the State of Illinois and at all levels of government worked together to quickly secure downtown Highland Park and later apprehend the suspect; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Nancy Rotering admirably and strongly led the grieving Highland Park community in the minutes immediately after the shooting and in the weeks and months following the shooting, as the international community looked to her leadership; and

WHEREAS, City Manager Ghida Neukirch selflessly ran to the scene of the shooting to provide first aid to gunshot victims, going far above and beyond her duties and providing extraordinary care to the Highland Park community in the moments following the shooting; and

WHEREAS, Physicians, nurses, and other staff raced to Highland Park Hospital to assist the injured, some coming straight from the parade, doing incredible work under intense and difficult circumstances; and

WHEREAS, Hundreds of therapists, counselors, and social workers have supported those experiencing trauma from what they witnessed during and after the shooting; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn the lives lost at the hands of gunfire in the City of Highland Park on July 4, 2022 and all those around the State of Illinois who have been lost to gun violence and recognize the surviving families that live with the trauma of their losses; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we especially remember the lives of Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Straus, Jacqueline Sundheim, Nicholas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we honor the City of Highland Park and its law enforcement, first responders, and community leaders for their service to the people of Illinois; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge leaders to continue to do everything in their power to ensure no other community experiences the trauma of gun violence, so that this horrific tragedy shall not be in vain; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the City of Highland Park.