'No! Not us': Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering recalls July 4 shooting that left 7 dead
The day started joyfully, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering remembers.
The sun was shining and flags were waving in the breeze - a perfect day for a parade.
It was July 4, 2022.
"We were all so happy to be celebrating together as a community," Rotering recalls.
But then people were running - fleeing from a gunman who'd used a military-style rifle to spray the crowd with 83 rounds in less than a minute.
"My first thoughts were, 'No! Not us. Not today,'" Rotering says.
When the carnage was over, seven people were dead or dying. Dozens more were wounded.
Highland Park had been added to the list of American communities devastated by a mass shooting.
Time has passed - six months on Wednesday - but the pain is very much still there for Rotering and others affected by the senseless violence of that terrible day. Rotering spoke with the Daily Herald about her memories of the shooting, how she's coped with the tragedy and the action she's taken to prevent other communities from experiencing similar suffering.
This version of the interview has been edited only for spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Q. It's been six months. How are you?
A. It still doesn't feel real. But it is so important that we continue to focus on remembering and honoring the seven lives taken too soon, and keeping the four dozen injured - so many still trying to physically recover from these devastating and complex wounds - and their families in our thoughts. We are still individually and collectively experiencing unbelievable grief and ongoing trauma.
We know from conversations with the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (that) the impacts of this one minute will last for lifetimes.
I am deeply grateful for the goodness, the support and the advocacy from our community, but I continue to be heartbroken by this year of firsts: holidays, birthdays, important family milestones missing an important family member or adjusting to a new physical reality after being shot. The pain felt by so many is not diminishing, and there is no respite from the trauma.
I am focusing on doing everything I can to prevent more mass shootings: talking to those who can take impactful action (and) urging everyone to recognize the hideous reality of this gun violence epidemic and the fact that it's not if, but when it will hit their towns. My community shares my anger as we work to turn thoughts and prayers into action.
Q. What have you done to deal with the tragedy on a personal level? How about professionally?
A. Action against the gun violence epidemic is needed now; frankly it is overdue. Having worked on this effort since 2013, I continue to promise my community - as their mayor, as their neighbor, as a parent, as a child of Highland Park, as a human being - that I will not stop trying.
We are continuing to pursue all legislative initiatives at every level of government. We know from experience that a single city, village, town or county cannot protect its residents because we are not islands. But if we can make it that much harder for someone bent on mass violence to obtain a weapon capable of shooting 83 high-velocity rounds in under a minute, maybe we can save a life or a community from the agony we are experiencing. We are continuing to work with state and federal legislators, urging them to pursue statewide and federal bans on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.
Q. What's your strongest memory of that terrible day?
A. The immediacy of it turning from a joyful day of community celebration to a day of shock, fear and horror. It was a gorgeous summer day. Moms, dads, grandparents and children of all ages lined the parade route. The sun was shining, flags were waving and we were all so happy to be celebrating together as a community.
We were about halfway through the parade route. I had just waved to my husband, who was sitting with family friends, and then thanked police Cmdr. Gerry Cameron for manning the Green Bay Road/Central Avenue intersection. As we started heading down the hill, I turned to my council colleagues and questioned why the band had stopped playing music and was only playing a cadence. Tat tat tat tat tat. I then saw the high school band teacher, Josh Chodoroff, sprinting down the hill on the sidewalk to my right, followed by a sea of the blue shirts and khaki pants of running band members, some with tubas still entwined around their bodies. I couldn't understand why they were running when we still had half of a parade route to complete. I didn't realize until four days later that I hadn't been hearing a drum cadence, I had heard the shooting - 83 rounds in under a minute.
My cellphone buzzed. It was my husband. Then our city manager, Ghida Neukirch. They told me that people had been shot. Someone was dead on the ground next to our local outdoor camping store. People were shot in front of Walker Brothers Pancake House. Bodies were scattered on the ground in the heart of our city.
My first thoughts were, "No! Not us. Not today."
"Not if, but when" had arrived on my doorstep.
As fire vehicles roared up the hill toward us, we pivoted to an emergency evacuation. My council colleagues and I ran to both sides of the street and screamed for people to run west. It was an emergency evacuation. There was an active shooter. "Leave your chairs! Leave your stuff! Run! Run!" we screamed. The adults stared back, not comprehending what we were saying. The children and teens, however, understanding that this wasn't a drill, sprang into action immediately and yelled to their families to leave everything and run.
Q. You've had to visit the site of the shooting. How do you deal with that?
A. I am regularly at Walker Brothers Pancake House, walking up and down Central Avenue or in Port Clinton Square. Several people have said that they are too traumatized to return to the site of the shooting, so I walk with them, sit with them, listen to their story about their day and talk to them in detail about what happened where. This was a horrible experience, and while it can happen anywhere, anytime, we as a community will not let the Highland Park mass shooting define us. The shooting happened in the center of our community. But we are working hard to make sure the heart of our city still and always will belong to the people.
None of this is easy, but we need to make sure action is taken. I have walked the governor, legislators and advocates through the progression of the shooting. Sometimes being in the place and hearing the specific, horrific details allows for a better understanding of what happened, how it could happen anywhere, anytime, and why none of us are safe until these weapons are out of the public's hands.
Q. Have people asked you for help or advice or guidance in dealing with their own trauma from the event? What have you told them?
A. They have, and as a community, we are supporting one another through this crisis. We are deeply appreciative of the care we have received from near and far. It is so important that we respect and care for one another and recognize that some of us will need more time and extra support. Professional resources continue to be available.
Q. Have you received support from other mayors in cities that have experienced similar attacks? In what way?
A. Within minutes of the Highland Park mass shooting and in the days that followed, I received phone calls, texts, emails and the 198-page handbook sent to mayors and managers in the aftermath of a mass shooting. Mayors are on the front lines, and individually and through organizations, we often rely on each other. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues in Illinois and across the country. Responding to a mass shooting is unfortunately a frequent occurrence for many American mayors. I have reached out to several of my recently impacted mayoral colleagues these last few months. It is a heartbreaking, horrible club to belong to.
Q. Have you spoken with President Biden about it?
A. I have spoken with President Biden several times. We are encouraged by his frequent public statements that he stands with us in our effort to federally ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines. He, too, believes that these weapons of war have no place in our communities.
In the wake of the massacre, President Biden called to share his absolute grief at what had happened to our community and to offer words of support and his deepest condolences. At that time, he invited me to join him, and others impacted by gun violence in Washington. On Monday, July 11th, I traveled to the White House for an event to mark the historic signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The act is a common-sense, bipartisan proposal to protect America's children, keep our schools safe and reduce the threat of violence across our country.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Highland Park police Cmdr. Chris O'Neill and I had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with President Biden before the event. President Biden agreed with us that the act is a first step to reducing the carnage, diminishing the fear, and alleviating the suffering of the American public - but we need to do more. Around the same time, he unveiled his Safer America Plan that, among other things, includes steps to keep firearms out of dangerous hands as well as a federal assault weapons and large-capacity magazine ban. We are deeply appreciative of his continued support and work toward getting these high-powered weapons out of our communities.
Q. Mass shootings have continued since July 4. Do you think Congress ever is going to take action to control military-style weapons? What about the state?
A. We are working together to pursue legislative initiatives with other governing bodies and at every level of government because we know that a single city, county or state cannot protect its residents from the kind of violence we experienced in Highland Park. We are not islands and are only as safe as what is permitted by the gun laws nearby.
In July, I testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and I shared our story about what happened in Highland Park. Most importantly, I stated that without a federal ban, no city or state can do enough to protect its residents from mass shootings. The federal government must ban assault weapons and large-capacity magazines.
In early December, I provided testimony to the state of Illinois' House of Representatives Judiciary-Criminal Committee. I urged them to pass a statewide ban to make it that much harder for someone intent on committing a community killing spree to get a weapon with the impact and speed of the one used in Highland Park.
I recognize that restricting access to assault weapons does not stop all gun violence, but banning weapons of war is one common-sense step we can take. It is worth it even if just one life is saved. Combat weapons are built for combat and have no place on our streets.
Some might argue that the debate about banning assault weapons is political. It is not. And it is not about whether we are burdening lawful gun owners with new regulations. These constitutional regulations existed before, currently exist in other states and were deemed constitutional when the federal assault weapons ban was in place between 1994 and 2004. This debate is about whether we are taking common sense steps to save lives, and to preserve our public's safety, health, human rights and freedom.
Q. Will the city hold a July 4 parade in 2023?
A. The city and park district are currently in very deliberative conversations about how we as a community will remember and honor the seven lives lost on July 4. We are also trying to determine how best to come together as a community to celebrate our nation's independence.
More information will be available via the city's website, eNews and social media in the next few months.
Q. Do you have a vision for a permanent memorial? Can you describe it?
A. The goal for a permanent memorial is to provide a place of remembrance, reflection and hopefully respite. A permanent memorial will be planned by the city based on feedback from victims' families, survivors and the public. Several survivors are still recovering from physical injuries or working to move forward with these injuries and along with some of the directly impacted families are currently unable to participate in these discussions. We understand that this planning process needs time. Plans for the permanent memorial will start to be discussed in the new year. Information regarding the process will be shared with the public via the city's website, eNews and social media.
Q. Finally, what advice do you have for people who remain traumatized by the shooting?
A. Reach out to friends and family for support and seek counseling. This violent event impacts each of us in different ways and at different times. We continue to work with local, county, state and federal victims support specialists. Their expertise and guidance help to provide clarity as we serve our community in the aftermath of this horrific tragedy. We will continue to encourage and lean on each other, working to find the strength to move forward together.