A remembrance ceremony, walk and picnic commemorated the Fourth of July holiday on Tuesday in Highland Park - one year to the day a mass shooter wreaked havoc at the community's Fourth of July parade, killing seven people and leaving dozens of others injured.
One thing noticeably missing from Tuesday's events was a parade -- a longtime staple in the community.
Holly Krakow, executive director of the Makom Solel Lakeside synagogue, said Monday that she had mixed feelings regarding what to do for Independence Day this year.
"I want to celebrate the holiday like we’ve always celebrated, but [I] feel a loss and a trauma, so very apprehensive about waking up in the morning and how that’s gonna go... and how we feel tomorrow," she said.
Some parents told NBC Chicago that they're waiting to see if their children want to celebrate or not to determine how to spend the day.
Meanwhile, a moment of levity took place for one of Highland Park's very own Monday night. Cooper Roberts, the now 9-year-old who was paralyzed from injuries suffered in the parade shooting, threw out the first pitch as the Brewers and Cubs faced off in Milwaukee.
One year since the tragedy, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives, as well as those who were injured, are still coping and processing the grief.
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"I expect many different emotions coming out tomorrow, sadness, anger, regret, grief, everything out at once," one mourner, Alexis, said.
A pediatrician who survived the mass shooting, Dr. Emily Lieberman, has joined a non-profit advocacy group with a singular mission to ban assault weapons.
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"I am witnessing unbelievable amounts of anxiety, PTSD, everything, not just in my own house but in patients as well," she said. "This is a special holiday, one of my favorites. But it has been marred."
Dr. Elliot Lieberman, Dr. Emily Lieberman's husband, said they're still haunted by reminders of what happened one year ago.
"We're haunted that this problem here in the U.S. continues to happen," he said. "We can’t rest until we’ve done our job in making our communities safer."
