Highland Park holds remembrance ceremony marking 2 years since deadly parade attack

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — Highland Park residents gathered Thursday for a remembrance ceremony two year after the deadly parade shooting.

The event was to bring the community together as well as honor the lives lost. Seven people were killed and dozens wounded on July 4, 2022 when a gunman began shooting into the parade.

The remembrance ceremony began at 10 a.m. at Edgewood Middle School. The mayor and community and faith leaders delivered remarks and the ceremony included a moment of silence.

The event was followed by a parade on a new Independence Day parade route. The parade steps-off at 1 p.m. at 1 ^st Street and Laurel Avenue and ends at Sunset Woods Park.

From there families will be able to enjoy 4th Fest starting at 1:30.

“Independence Day has traditionally been a special opportunity for our community to come together with beloved traditions,” Mayor Nancy Rotering said in a statement. “As we continue our journey as one Highland Park, we do so with respect, compassion, and support for all whose lives were forever changed on July 4, 2022, while maintaining the community spirit that has always been a hallmark of Highland Park’s Independence Day events.”

The second anniversary comes a week after a shocking court hearing in which suspected shooter Robert E. Crimo III was expected to change his plea to guilty and allow family members and those wounded to address him directly. Instead, Crimo abruptly changed his mind about the plea deal during the proceedings, which victims and their family members said inflicted more suffering. His trial is scheduled for next year.

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