On Tuesday, friends and authorities confirmed that the boy’s parents, Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, were among the seven people killed in the tragedy. “At two years old, Aiden lives in the unimaginable position. to grow up without his parents,” Irina Colon wrote in a GoFundMe account she set up for the family and Aiden, who was reunited with his grandparents Monday afternoon. Friends of the McCarthys said that Irina’s parents would take care of the boy in the future.
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Story continues below ad Four of the others killed were identified Tuesday as Katherine Goldstein, 64. Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; Stephen Strauss, 88; and Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78. Each victim was from Highland Park except Toledo-Zaragoza, who was visiting family in town from Morelos, Mexico. Officials have not yet identified the seventh victim. Portraits of some of those who died began to emerge Tuesday as investigators continued to search for evidence in the shooting that killed at least seven and injured 30. Irina McCarthy’s childhood friend Angela Vella described McCarthy as fun, kind and “kind of a tomboy” who still liked to dress up. “She definitely had her own style, which I’ve always admired,” Vella said in a brief interview. Strauss, a financial adviser in Chicago, was an early observer at the parade and attended it every year, his grandchildren said. Brothers Maxwell and Tobias Straus described their grandfather as a kind and active man who enjoyed walking, biking and attending community events. “The way he lived life, you’d think he was still middle-aged,” Maxwell Strauss said in an interview. Trending Stories
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The two brothers recalled Sunday night dinners with their grandparents as a favorite tradition. They said they ate with him the night before he was killed. Story continues below ad “America’s gun culture is killing grandparents,” said Maxwell Straus. “It’s just terrible.” 1:23 Police respond to ‘active’ shooting at Illinois Independence Day parade Police respond to ‘active’ shooting at Illinois Independence Day parade Sundheim, meanwhile, was honored as a lifelong colleague and “beloved” staff member at North Shore Congregation Israel, where she had worked for decades, the Reform synagogue said on its website. Sundheim taught at the synagogue’s preschool and coordinated events, including bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies. “Jackie’s work, kindness and warmth touched us all,” synagogue leaders wrote in a message on their website. “There are not enough words to express the depth of our sadness at Jackie’s passing and our sympathy to her family and loved ones.” Toledo-Zaragoza was killed in what his 23-year-old granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, said was a “fun family day” that “turned into a horrible nightmare for all of us.” On a GoFundMe page to raise money for Toledo’s funeral expenses, Xochil Toledo said her grandfather was a “beloved man, creative, adventurous and funny.” Story continues below ad “As a family we are broken, numb,” he said. Toledo-Zaragoza had come to Illinois to visit family about two months ago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. His family wanted him to stay permanently because of injuries he suffered after being hit by a car two years ago during a previous visit to Highland Park. The newspaper said he was hit by three bullets on Monday and died at the scene. He wasn’t sure he wanted to attend the parade because of the large crowds and his limited mobility, which requires him to use a walker, but Xochil Toledo said the family didn’t want to leave him alone. Katherine Goldstein’s husband described her as a pleasant traveling companion who always wanted to visit faraway places. “He didn’t complain,” Craig Goldstein told The New York Times. “They were always along for the ride.” Goldstein was the mother of two daughters in their early 20s, Cassie and Alana. She attended the parade with her older daughter so Cassie could reunite with friends from high school, Craig Goldstein, a hospital doctor, told the newspaper. Dr. Goldstein said his wife recently lost her mother and had thought about what kind of arrangements she would want when she dies. Story continues below ad He recalled that Kathryn, an avid bird watcher, said she wanted to be cremated and her remains scattered in the Montrose Beach area of Chicago, where there is a bird sanctuary. © 2022 The Canadian Press
