Highland Park officials settle on permanent memorial sites for July 4 mass shooting
Highland Park city officials are moving forward with the recommendation of two sites for a permanent memorial to the victims of the July 4, 2022, parade mass shooting.
Last week, the 24-year-old Highwood man who pleaded guilty to 21 counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of attempted first-degree murder received seven life sentences for the July 4 shooting. He killed seven people and wounded 48 others that day.
On Monday, the city council expressed support for a prominent, primary place of remembrance for the shooting victims and survivors at the Rose Garden next to city hall, and a modest secondary place of remembrance at Port Clinton Square.
The city will issue a national request for quotation (RFQ) for the permanent memorial design. The city council is expected to consider a recommendation for a design firm for the memorial in early fall.
“The city has been diligently working to research and plan for a permanent place of remembrance that will provide spaces for reflection, remembrance, and solace, pay tribute to those whose lives were taken, and honor Highland Park’s resilience, especially those who were injured,” Mayor Nancy Rotering said in her statement to the community.
Since 2023, a city-appointed working group has been focused on finding appropriate memorial sites for this purpose. Do Tank, a human-centered consulting firm, designed a trauma-informed community-wide study, conducted focus groups and one-on-one interviews with victims’ family members and those who were injured before recommending the sites. A full report is available at hpremembrance.org.
Based on the data collected and analysis prepared by the consultant team, the city is moving forward with the two identified locations.
“This approach allows us to balance the needs of those who felt that the place of remembrance should be in a quiet place with ample space for development, and those who felt that it was important to have a recognition at the site of the shooting,” Rotering said. “We are grateful to every person who shared their unique perspective with the team.”
Whichever firm is chosen, “will be charged with significant public engagement so that all stakeholders are involved throughout the design process,” she added.
To learn more about the memorial work, visit hpremembrance.org.