Prairie State Wire

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution introduced by U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) expressing the condolences of the Senate and honoring the memory of the victims on the first anniversary of the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022.

Specifically, the Senators’ resolution:

1)     Expresses sincere condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones of Katie Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen Strauss, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, and Eduardo Uvaldo, the victims of the devastating shooting along the parade route on July 4, 2022, in Highland Park, Illinois;

2)     Honors the lives and memory of the victims, with gratitude for their selfless dedication to others;

3)     Continues to extend support to the individuals who were injured and subjected to the trauma of the shooting;

4)     Expresses gratitude to the law enforcement officers, medical personnel, and emergency responders who responded to the shooting with professionalism, dedication, and bravery; and,

5)     Stands in solidarity with the victims of senseless gun violence in communities across the United States. 

“What happened last year as families in Highland Park gathered to celebrate the Fourth of July is an atrocity.  That gunman, who shot off more than 80 rounds in 60 seconds, destroyed families, paralyzed children, and scarred a community for a lifetime,” Durbin said.  “My heart still aches for Highland Park, and we must seek pathways to preventing the next heartbreaking shooting.  I’m pleased the Senate unanimously passed our resolution honoring the memory of the victims—now, we must come together to end the uniquely American tragedy of mass shootings.”

“When families gathered in Highland Park to observe the Fourth of July last year, they were there to celebrate life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Duckworth said. “They woke up that morning eager to take pride in our nation and celebrate America at its best. Instead, they experienced the worst of it. One year later, I’m thinking of the families who lost loved ones and a community that is forever impacted by this tragedy. For the sake of the seven people we lost, and all gun violence survivors who’ve experienced the unimaginable, I’m pleased the Senate passed our resolution today in their honor. I promise to never stop working for commonsense gun safety legislation that saves lives and helps make massacres like these relics of a heartbreaking past.”

U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) introduced a companion resolution in the House of Representatives.

“A day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of the seven people murdered, those that were wounded, and our whole community devastated last July 4th in Highland Park,” said Schneider.  “This resolution honors Highland Park and the victims of the shooting by keeping their names alive and guaranteeing that their stories continue to be told.  I am grateful that Senators Durbin and Duckworth have led this resolution and that the Senate has overwhelmingly approved it.  I look forward to its passage in the House.”

Full text of the Senate resolution is available here.  

Original source can be found here.