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1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 97 



2 AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Joint Resolution 97 by 
3deleting everything after the heading and replacing it with 
4the following:

5 "WHEREAS, On Monday, July 4, 2022, the City of Highland 
6Park and thousands of its residents and neighbors gathered for 
7its annual Fourth of July parade; and


8 WHEREAS, For generations, Highland Park has hosted this 
9parade, one of the largest Fourth of July gatherings in the 
10northern suburbs of Chicago; and


11 WHEREAS, At 10:14 a.m., tragedy struck as an alleged lone 
12gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at the 
13intersection of 2nd Street and Central Avenue in downtown 
14Highland Park; and


 
 
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1 WHEREAS, In less than one minute, the assailant shot 83 
2bullets into the crowd, killing 7 and injuring dozens; and


3 WHEREAS, As residents ran from the gunfire, placed their 
4bodies over their loved ones, and sought safety, first 
5responders who had come to watch the parade put themselves in 
6harm's way; and


7 WHEREAS, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members 
8and community volunteers rushed to the scene and bravely 
9worked side by side with fire and police personnel and medical 
10professionals, helping to save lives through their quick 
11action; and


12 WHEREAS, Law enforcement officers from Highland Park and 
13hundreds of others throughout the State of Illinois and at all 
14levels of government worked together to quickly secure 
15downtown Highland Park and later apprehend the suspect; and


16 WHEREAS, Mayor Nancy Rotering admirably and strongly led 
17the grieving Highland Park community in the minutes 
18immediately after the shooting and in the weeks and months 
19following the shooting, as the international community looked 
20to her leadership; and


21 WHEREAS, City Manager Ghida Neukirch selflessly ran to the 
 
 
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1scene of the shooting to provide first aid to gunshot victims, 
2going far above and beyond her duties and providing 
3extraordinary care to the Highland Park community in the 
4moments following the shooting; and


5 WHEREAS, Physicians, nurses, and other staff raced to 
6Highland Park Hospital to assist the injured, some coming 
7straight from the parade, doing incredible work under intense 
8and difficult circumstances; and


9 WHEREAS, Hundreds of therapists, counselors, and social 
10workers have supported those experiencing trauma from what 
11they witnessed during and after the shooting; therefore, be it


12 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE 
13HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE 
14SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we mourn the lives lost at the 
15hands of gunfire in the City of Highland Park on July 4, 2022 
16and all those around the State of Illinois who have been lost 
17to gun violence and recognize the surviving families that live 
18with the trauma of their losses; and be it further


19 RESOLVED, That we especially remember the lives of 
20Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Stephen 
21Straus, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Nicholas Toledo-Zaragoza, and 
22Eduardo Uvaldo; and be it further


 
 
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1 RESOLVED, That we honor the City of Highland Park and its 
2law enforcement, first responders, and community leaders for 
3their service to the people of Illinois; and be it further


4 RESOLVED, That we urge leaders to continue to do 
5everything in their power to ensure no other community 
6experiences the trauma of gun violence, so that this horrific 
7tragedy shall not be in vain; and be it further


8 RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
9delivered to the City of Highland Park."