A toddler found wandering alone in the aftermath of the July 4 shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, has been identified as two-year-old Aiden McCarthy. Local media reports that both of his parents were among those killed during the parade that claimed six lives and wounded dozens more.
A picture of Aiden went viral and testified to the immediate confusion and chaos following the mass shooting in the small Chicago suburb. Kevin and Irina McCarthy were later identified as the boy’s parents, and did not survive the shooting. The boy has been reunited with his grandparents Misha & Nina Levberg — Jewish immigrants who came to America from the Soviet Union.
Remember this little boy found wandering alone after #HighlandPark parade? We’ve just found out why… both his parents were killed💔
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
— Marissa Parra (@MarParNews) July 5, 2022
A GoFundMe has been started to help provide for the boy’s future. “At two years old, Aiden is left in the unthinkable position; to grow up without his parents,” the post reads. “He is surrounded by a community of friends and extended family that will embrace him with love, and any means available to ensure he has everything he needs as he grows.”
As of this writing, the account has raised nearly two million dollars.
