Funeral services have been set for three of the seven people killed Monday during the shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park.
A gunman fired into the parade with a high-powered rifle, injuring dozens of people. Police said the suspect escaped after the shooting and drove to Madison, Wisconsin, where he "seriously contemplated" but did not carry out another attack, officials said.
The suspect later was arrested in his car and has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder, according to Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart.
Stephen Straus, 88, of Highland Park
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A funeral service for Stephen Straus, 88, will be held Friday.
Memorial contributions in Straus' honor can be made to Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation and the American Cancer Society.
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Straus was a financial advisor who commuted to his office in downtown Chicago five days a week, his relatives told the Chicago Tribune.
The family patriarch, he was “curious about the world,” his son Peter Straus said.
He liked to paint as a hobby and visit the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Art Institute of Chicago.
He is survived by his wife Linda, his children Jonathan and Peter, and four grandchildren.
Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63, of Highland Park
A memorial service for Jacquelyn "Jacki" Lovi Sundheim, 63, will be held Friday.
Contributions in Sundheim's memory can be made to North Shore Congregation Israel or the Highland Park Community Foundation in lieu of flowers.
A former preschool teacher and a member of the North Shore Congregation Israel, Sundheim was praised for her "tireless dedication" in a statement from the synagogue.
"Jacki’s work, kindness and warmth touched us all, from her early days teaching at the Gates of Learning Preschool to guiding innumerable among us through life’s moments of joy and sorrow as our Events and B’nei Mitzvah Coordinator — all of this with tireless dedication," read the statement from the synagogue, which is in nearby Glencoe.
Her friend, Sherri Goodman, told NBC Chicago that Sundheim had helped to plan the bat mitzvahs for Goodman’s three daughters.
“Always with a smile, a hug, a Band-Aid,” Goodman said.
Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 88, of Highland Park and Morelos, Mexico
A funeral service for Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, will be held Friday.
Toledo-Zaragoza attended Highland Park's July 4 parade only because his family did not want to leave him at home alone.
He used a walker and was worried about the crowds, his granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, said. Toledo described him as a loving man, creative, adventurous and funny.
She remembers looking over at her grandfather, who was sitting amongst his family, as a band passed them.
“He was so happy,” she said. “Happy to be living in the moment.”
They didn’t realize someone had opened fire on the crowd until bullets started coming toward them. Three struck her grandfather, killing him on the spot, she said.
Toledo-Zaragoza came to Illinois from Mexico to visit his family about two months ago, but stayed because of injuries he had received when he was hit by a car a couple of years ago during an earlier stay in Highland Park. The family wanted him to stay permanently.
Her grandfather had a big smile and bright blue eyes that stood out, Xochil Toledo said. He had eight children, most in the United States and others in Mexico.
He preferred a home-cooked meal to eating out, enjoyed fishing and liked to take walks around Highland Park, Toledo said.
“He never wanted to be inside. He always wanted to be outside,” she said.
“He was a sweet, caring grandfather,” she said. “He wanted only the best for his kids and children.”
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