HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — The first services for the victims of the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in this Chicago suburb were set for Friday, four days after a gunman fired more than 70 rounds from a rooftop with a legally purchased assault rifle.
The gunman, 21, wounded nearly 40 people and killed seven in the attack, including the parents of a 2-year-old boy. One of the youngest victims injured in the shooting, an 8-year-old boy, was still in critical condition in a hospital after being shot in the chest.
Among the dead is Jacquelyn “Jacki” Lovi Sundheim, 63, a longtime congregant and staff member at North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, Illinois, where she helped organize events and taught preschool, according to an obituary. A memorial service for Sundheim was planned for Friday morning at the synagogue, followed by a shiva.
“Jacki’s work, kindness and warmth touched us all,” the synagogue said in a statement. “There are no words sufficient to express the depth of our grief for Jacki’s death and sympathy for her family and loved ones.”
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Relatives of another victim, Eduardo Uvaldo, were expected to travel from Texas and Mexico to attend his burial Friday on what would have been Uvaldo’s 70th birthday, the New York Times reported. It was not immediately clear when or where the burial would happen.
Uvaldo died Wednesday from a gunshot wound to the head after he was taken off a ventilator Tuesday, according to a verified GoFundMe page set up by his family. Uvaldo’s grandson and wife were also injured in the shooting.
Uvaldo and his family attended the Highland Park July Fourth parade every year “filled with happiness and laughter,” his granddaughter, Nivia Guzman, wrote on the page. “My grandpa is a kind, loving, and funny man who did not deserve this,” the page says.
A service for Chicago financial adviser Stephen Straus, 88, was set for just after noon Friday at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, followed by a burial at Oak Woods Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side, where Straus was born, according to an online obituary. The funeral was expected to be live-streamed, with a shiva to follow.
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Strauss could often be found at the Art Institute, at the symphony or on his Metra ride downtown to work each day, according to the obituary. He was “remarkably sharp and fit for his age” and took daily walks or bike rides, the obituary said.
“Stephen was known for his universal warmth and kindness, his strong sense of humor, and his love of the world,” the obituary said.
A service for Nicolas Toledo, 78, was planned for Friday evening at Iglesia Emanuel in Waukegan, Illinois. There was expected to be a closed service for the family, followed by a service for friends and the church.
Toledo, a great-grandfather and dual Mexican-American citizen, spent most of his life in Morelos, Mexico, and moved to Highland Park a few months ago to be with family, his granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, told the Chicago Sun-Times. He had eight children, a big smile and bright blue eyes, Xochil told the outlet.
Alba Toledo, 23, told USA TODAY her grandfather loved drawing, hunting, fishing and going for walks in the park. “My grandfather was a great person, with an enormous heart,” she said.
Information on services for the other victims was not immediately available.
Prosecutors on Tuesday charged the suspected gunman with seven counts of first-degree murder. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said that, if convicted, the gunman faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“We anticipate dozens of more charges,” Rinehart said.
Contributing: N’dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY.
