Highland Park, a year later

Good morning, Chicago.

Today marks a year since the tragedy that claimed the lives of seven and left dozens more injured.

Highland Park will mark the anniversary with a series of somber events meant to balance the diverse needs of a community permanently scarred — both physically and emotionally — by the shooting. The day will begin with a remembrance ceremony at City Hall to honor those killed: Katherine Goldstein, Irina McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, Jacquelyn Sundheim, Stephen Straus, Nicolas Toledo-Zargoza and Eduardo Uvaldo.

There will be a moment of silence at 10:14 a.m. to mark the first shots fired, followed by a community walk at 11 a.m. down the traditional parade route. There will be no floats, no performers, no official spectators. Attendees must pre-register and pass through metal detectors to participate.

City officials have said the walk symbolizes the community’s desire to reclaim the town and rebuild its resiliency. Those efforts, however, began organically in the days and weeks immediately after the tragedy and continue to grow.

It’s rooted in paradegoers like Shane Selig, who returned home from the shooting covered in blood and determined to do something. He has since visited Springfield and Washington, D.C., to advocate for change. He doesn’t push for a specific policy, but he feels certain that people should know what assault rifles can do and that fears about mass shootings shouldn’t be part of American life.

“I wasn’t able to save everyone that day,” said Selig, a software engineering manager trained in emergency response. “But I’m still trying to do something.”

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Residents will remember the seven people killed and dozens wounded in the mass shooting at different gatherings throughout the day. The somber anniversary’s events include a ceremony in the morning, a community walk, a picnic and a concert.

Shane Selig thought he heard a firecracker. He swung his bike around and headed toward the sound as spectators ran the other way. He saw someone lying on the ground, showing no signs of life. He started CPR.

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The popping sounds continued. He sought cover. A police officer pulled out his gun.

By then, Selig knew.

Aiden McCarthy’s grandparents are fighting over who should become permanent guardian of the 3-year-old orphan. His parents, Irina and Kevin McCarthy, were among seven people killed when a gunman opened fire during the parade.

A GoFundMe for Aiden McCarthy raised $3.3 million, which has been put in a court-ordered trust, to go for his care and upbringing. Chicago Trust Co. will administer the trust, and attorneys for the parties involved already have made more than $75,000 in fees from it.

There has been division among people in the community about how far school security measures should go after an instance of mass violence in the town, and after an April 4 scare and lockdown when a student allegedly brought a gun to Highland Park High School. Moments earlier, more than 100 students had staged a walkout to protest gun violence.

Experts have suggested what was on the books — if properly understood and implemented — potentially could have prevented the alleged shooter from obtaining the high-powered semi-automatic rifle used to rain bullets down on paradegoers, killing seven and wounding dozens more.

There have been 54 mass shootings in Illinois in the past year, resulting in 50 deaths and 225 injuries, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as four or more people shot in a single event, not including the gunman.