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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

  
 
  
2    WHEREAS, On Monday, July 4, 2022, the City of Highland 
3Park and thousands of its residents and neighbors gathered for 
4its annual Fourth of July parade; and
  
 
5    WHEREAS, For generations, Highland Park has hosted this 
6parade, one of the largest Fourth of July gatherings in the 
7northern suburbs of Chicago; and
  
 
8    WHEREAS, At 10:14 a.m., tragedy struck as an alleged lone 
9gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at the 
10intersection of 2nd Street and Central Avenue in downtown 
11Highland Park; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, In less than one minute, the assailant shot 83 
13bullets into the crowd, killing 7 and injuring dozens; and
  
 
14    WHEREAS, As residents ran from the gunfire, placed their 
15bodies over their loved ones, and sought safety, first 
16responders who had come to watch the parade put themselves in 
17harm's way; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members 
19and community volunteers rushed to the scene and bravely 
20worked side by side with fire and police personnel and medical 
 
 
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1professionals, helping to save lives through their quick 
2action; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, Law enforcement officers from Highland Park and 
4hundreds of others throughout the State of Illinois and at all 
5levels of government worked together to quickly secure 
6downtown Highland Park and later apprehend the suspect; and
  
 
7    WHEREAS, Mayor Nancy Rotering admirably and strongly led 
8the grieving Highland Park community in the minutes 
9immediately after the shooting and in the weeks and months 
10following the shooting, as the international community looked 
11to her leadership; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, City Manager Ghida Neukirch selflessly ran to the 
13scene of the shooting to provide first aid to gunshot victims, 
14going far above and beyond her duties and providing 
15extraordinary care to the Highland Park community in the 
16moments following the shooting; and
  
 
17    WHEREAS, Physicians, nurses, and other staff raced to 
18Highland Park Hospital to assist the injured, some coming 
19straight from the parade, doing incredible work under intense 
20and difficult circumstances; and
  
 
21    WHEREAS, Hundreds of therapists, counselors, and social 
 
 
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1workers have supported those experiencing trauma from what 
2they witnessed during and after the shooting; therefore, be it
  
 
3    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL

4ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF

5REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn the lives 
6lost at the hands of gunfire in the City of Highland Park on 
7July 4, 2022 and all those around the State of Illinois who 
8have been lost to gun violence and recognize the surviving 
9families that live with the trauma of their losses; and be it 
10further
  
 
11    RESOLVED, That we especially remember the lives of 
12Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen 
13Straus, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicholas Toledo-Zaragoza, and 
14Eduardo Uvaldo; and be it further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That we honor the City of Highland Park and its 
16law enforcement, first responders, and community leaders for 
17their service to the people of Illinois; and be it further
  
 
18    RESOLVED, That we urge leaders to continue to do 
19everything in their power to ensure no other community 
20experiences the trauma of gun violence, so that this horrific 
21tragedy shall not be in vain; and be it further
  
 
 
 
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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
2delivered to the City of Highland Park.