Toddler found alone after both parents were killed in Highland Park shooting
Both parents of a toddler found wandering alone were killed in the Highland Park mass shooting on July 4.
A photo of two-year-old Aiden McCarthy went viral after the attack before he was reunited with his grandparents. His parents Kevin, 37, and Irina, 35, were among the seven victims who died in the attack.
2 year old Aiden was found wandering by himself after the massacre at the 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois. His father, Kevin, and mother, Irina were killed by the mass shooter.https://t.co/f3HDwv7yZv 📸: @MarParNews pic.twitter.com/RowdkVs58k
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) July 5, 2022
A couple took in Aiden, who was unharmed, during the chaos after they found him with a stranger who was in shock.
"She was physically shaking, her whole body," Dana Ring told CBS News. "Which told us that... she shouldn't be having to hold, and/or deal with a little one at the same time."
"We took the little boy," Greg Ring added. "I put him in my arms."
They took the child to Dana's parents' home nearby after the attack. Highland Park police later picked him up and brought him to his grandparents.
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise funds for Aiden, which as of July 6, has put up $1.7 million for the child.
"At two years old, Aiden is left in the unthinkable position; to grow up without his parents," the page reads. "Aiden will be cared for by his loving family and he will have a long road ahead to heal, find stability, and ultimately navigate his life as an orphan."
Remember this little boy found wandering alone after #HighlandPark parade? We’ve just found out why… both his parents were killed💔
— Marissa Parra (@MarParNews) July 5, 2022
A fundraiser has been started for Irina and Kevin McCarthy’s 2-yo son Aiden as he grows up without them
Link: https://t.co/qKc4mOVX2t @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/7fxYE3OoS4
The perpetrator of the mass shooting, 21-year-old Robert E. Crimo III, was taken into custody and faces seven counts of first-degree murder. The Highland Park Shooting in Illinois saw seven victims killed and more than two dozen injured.