In Aftermath of Chicago’s July 4th Shooting, Local Moms Provide Countless Points of Light

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July 5, 2022

6 min read

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After the horrific shooting, a team of volunteers quickly mobilized into action.

The chilling message popped up in my Facebook feed just after 10 AM on July 4th: “My husband was just driving near the parade area in downtown Highland Park and said someone started shooting a semi-automatic gun in the crowd…”

A gunman killed six people and wounded 31, shooting from a rooftop at a crowd of people enjoying the 4th of July parade in the quiet Chicago suburb of Highland Park.

The Facebook group was for moms living in the northern suburbs of Chicago. It usually features suggestions about kids’ after school activities, not real-time information about unfolding tragedies. Highland Park is a heavily Jewish, beautiful suburb with a vibrant downtown full of upscale shops and boutiques. It seemed inconceivable that a mass shooting would occur there.

When tragedy strikes, you take a breath and see who else needs you.

As the horror unfolded, local moms stepped up to help, in ways large and small. “When tragedy strikes, you take a breath and see who else needs you,” said Amy Slutzky, a licensed clinical professional counselor who helped organize mental health professionals for people traumatized by the shooting. “This is what we do as Jews.”

Terror in a peaceful community

The victims ranged in age from 8 to 85 years old. For hours, the police sealed off downtown Highland Park and asked residents to stay indoors while they searched for the perpetrator. (Hours later, a local suspect was arrested.)

Scrolling through my phone, there were countless updates and offers for help and services from local moms.

“This boy was separated from her family and is safe!” read one post in a mom’s Facebook group. “Please message or call if you know her!” A woman attending the parade found a toddler on his own in the crowd during the shooting, covered with blood. she scooped him up as she fled and ran with him to safety - then turned to local mother’s groups for help tracking down his family.

The post was widely shared, and after what felt like a never-ending wait his family was found and the little boy was finally reunited.

Trauma Care

“I went to two ERs,” Rachel Locker, a nurse who lives close to where the shooting took place, said in an Aish.com interview. She realized her nursing skills could be put to use and traveled to nearby hospitals where she offered to volunteer. As she heard about the shooting she sprung into action. “I can’t just sit and watch. When tragedy strikes, you have to do something.”

There was blood and chaos and people trying to run and grab their kids and hide… It was terrifying

For her, the shooting felt personal. “My community goes to this parade. They were running for cover. They were screaming and crying. There was blood and chaos and people trying to run and grab their kids and hide… It was terrifying. I know a girl who was shot in the foot.”

Locker has advice for others who want to find ways to help: “Whatever you can offer, put yourself out there. It may seem small but it might be a bigger deal than you think it is.. Everybody has skills they can offer, big or small.”

Offering Medical Care

Dr. Lisa Levick was on her way to the parade with her family when she heard news of a shooting. A podiatrist, she announced on Facebook that her office would be open the following day to treat anyone with a medical problem - with or without an appointment, and no matter what their insurance status - to spare local hospitals.

She first opened her clinic to help the wider public during the Covid pandemic when many doctors’ offices were closed. In the aftermath of the terrible shooting there’s a pressing need for blood donors, especially those with less common blood types. “We all can find creative ways to help. Check on your neighbors; you never know what they need.”

Raising $2,000 in 5 minutes

Limore Zilberman was sitting home, not far from the site of the shooting, wondering how she could possibly help. As hundreds of police officers gathered in Highland Park to help search for the shooter - and as a thunderstorm threatened the area - she posted on a mom’s Facebook group, proposing to buy sandwiches, waterproof ponchos and coffee for the officers manning the perimeter of the lockdown zone. “Anyone want to join me?”

Her post immediately went viral and she collected over $2,000 within five minutes. As donations continued to pour in, Mrs. Zilberman announced that she was buying and delivering more supplies the following day too. “We all can donate time and money… Sending prayers for the families is just as helpful as an act of kindness now, too,” she notes.

Mental Health

Amy Slutzky posted: “Asking any of my therapist friends to join me be on call for immediate free crisis counseling to help our community.” She spent the morning of the shooting calling her clients, many of whom are in Highland Park, to check in on them. “I thought if I’m doing this for my people, there are probably people I’m not reaching too who need mental health help during this crisis. That’s when I put the post up.” She plans to offer free counseling as soon as offices open on July 5.

Audrey Grunst, another local psychologist, also offered to organize crisis intervention. Within a day, over a hundred therapists contacted her, volunteering their services to help people in the town traumatized by the shooting. “This could have been me,” she explained to Aish.com, noting that she identified with people at the parade. “I felt an obligation to help.”

In the days and weeks ahead, the moms of Highland Park and the surrounding areas will continue to find creative ways to help and support one another. “Volunteering enables you to put your stamp on the ledger on the right side,” notes Amy Slutzky.

“There are so many things that make you afraid and want to stay in,” Slutzky notes. “Volunteering makes you feel empowered and gets some checks on the other side of the ledger.”

On a day of so much darkness, she and her neighbors have brought in countless points of light.

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