Highland Park funerals to conclude with tribute to slain dad
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. - One family has endured double the sorrow after a gunman opened fire during an Independence Day parade two weeks ago in Highland Park.
Kevin and Irina McCarthy, parents of a 2-year-old, were both killed in the Highland Park Fourth of July Parade shooting.
Funeral services for 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy will be held Monday afternoon at Donnellan Family Funeral Services in Skokie. It will be the final service for the seven victims.
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A photograph of the McCarthy's was placed at the memorials in downtown Highland Park, honoring them and the seven lives lost to gun violence.
In an obituary, he is described as a father, husband, brother, uncle and son who "brought the fun to every situation."
A woman mourns at a memorial of Kevin and Irina McCarthy, placed near the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade, on July 7, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"[His loss] leaves a large extended family with a hole in their hearts…Kevin died celebrating our nation’s independence with his young family," the family wrote in his obituary. "Kevin’s irrepressible zest for life and his family and friends will remain with us always. We love you."
He was using his body to shield their 2-year-old son, Aiden. The little boy survived and was later reunited with his grandparents.
The family has the received support from the community and beyond. A GoFundMe account created for their son has raised more than $3 million.
A mourner writes on a memorial for the victims of a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade, on July 6, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. (Jim Vondruska/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Irina McCarthy was buried last week.
Services for the five other victims have been held in recent weeks. They have been identified as: 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim, 88-year-old Stephen Straus and 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza and 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo.
Prosecutors have charged 21-year-old Robert E. Crimo III with seven counts of murder and said they expect to present attempted murder charges representing the people wounded in the attack.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.