Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUX87nVOUDs 

A luminary bag on the stage in the Center for Art & Performance at Edgewood Middle School in Highland Park includes candles for the seven deceased victims of the July 4, 2022 shooting. A July 4 Remembrance Ceremony at Edgewood paid tribute to victims of the shooting.

This year’s Highland Park July 4 events included the return of the parade in downtown but on a different route to divert from the Port Clinton Square block on Central Avenue.

Two years ago, seven people died during the city’s Independence Day parade at Port Clinton Square and 48 others were injured in a shooting that lasted one minute with 83 rounds of gunfire. Robert  Crimo III of Highwood has been charged with the crime and his trial is trial set tentatively for February.

The deceased victims are Katie Goldstein of Highland Park, Irina McCarthy of Highland Park, Kevin Michael McCarthy of Highland Park, Stephen Straus of Highland Park, Jacki Lovi Sundheim of Highland Park, Nicolás Toledo of Morelos, Mexico, and Eduardo Uvaldo of Waukegan.

This year’s events included a registration-only Remembrance Ceremony at Edgewood Middle School; the scaled-down but festive parade with a large attendance and 36 parade entries, presented with a theme of “Sweet Home Highland Park”; and then 4th Fest at Sunset Woods Park. 

There was no city — or Park District of Highland Park-sponsored July 4 evening event. Last year, a drone show took the place of fireworks. This year, the Highland Park drone show will be Sept. 14.

The Art Center Highland Park held its own community program as a choice for individuals wishing for a different Independence Day experience. TAC offered a midday Gallery Picnic and Art-Making Day as a quiet alternative.

“We appreciate the way the city of Highland Park has given so much time and thought to reclaiming this holiday,” TAC Executive Director James M. Lynch of Highland Park said. “We also realize that there are those who might want an alternative way to celebrate and we are here to serve our community.” 

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering responded before the Remembrance Ceremony.

The Jesse White Tumblers perform on Central Avenue during the parade.

“We support the Art Center and appreciate that this community has so many people willing to support and help each other. Good for them,” Rotering told Chronicle Media.

The Remembrance Ceremony had a near-capacity audience and a minute of silence. During the ceremony, Rotering told the audience, “We come together again, 24 months since the darkest day in the history of Highland Park.

“While I am so proud of how our community has supported one another, I wish it were not because of a horrific act of mass gun violence.

“We have experienced a range of emotions that have left us grappling to put into words how we feel at this moment, day to day, month to month, and now, year to year,” Rotering said. “We will redouble our efforts to advocate for a world where senseless acts of violence find no refuge, where empathy triumphs over animosity, and where love prevails amidst darkness. 

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering speaks during the Remembrance Ceremony.

“May the lives taken from families and our community never fade from our remembrance, serving as eternal reminders of our shared humanity and the urgency of our mission,” Rotering said.

Hannah Cohen, 18, of Deerfield, a member of the Deerfield High School Class of 2024, was the soloist and guitarist during the ceremony covering the renowned song, “There You’ll Be,” written by Diane Warren and performed by country music artist Faith Hill.

“It’s truly an honor to be able to come and perform at a ceremony like this and to show my support for everything that happened in the town two years ago and to kind of be a part of something as beautiful at this ceremony,” Cohen told Chronicle Media.

Among ceremony speakers was Michael Schwab, senior rabbi of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El of Highland Park, who told the audience, “My family and I were here at the parade that day, too.”

Schwab, as a clergy member, “counseled many who were injured, those who were caught in the

Navy Band Great Lakes marches during the parade.

arena of fire and those who have to live with the aftermath of that black day.

“What happened created a deep hurt for many and has left behind many scars,” Schwab said.

“And we, as a community, led by our city officials and other leaders, have made great efforts to comfort one another, process the trauma and help each other recover from this great tragedy.

“I saw the beauty in humanity in the aftermath of that terrible day, I have seen it shine amongst us in the years since and I see it standing before me today,” Schwab said.

“As we look back, we must also, therefore, look forward.

“We must remember.”