Fundraiser for toddler orphaned by the Highland Park shooter raises $2 million: Since it was established on Tuesday, a gofundme page dedicated to raising money for 2-year-old Aiden McCarthy, whose parents were both slain in the mass shooting that took place on Monday at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois, has garnered almost $2 million in donations.
Irina Colon, the fundraiser’s organizer, mentioned that she asked and received permission from the boy’s family before beginning the GoFundMe campaign. As of the morning of Wednesday, the campaign had already earned $1.92 million. The shooting had no effect on the young child in any way.
Aiden was separated from his parents amid the pandemonium that ensued after the horrific shooting, and his parents, Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, were among those who lost their lives in the incident. Dana and Greg Ring told CBS Chicago that they found the child with a stranger who was in shock and that they took the boy and looked after him until a Highland Park police detective picked him up and reunited him with his grandparents at a hospital. Dana and Greg told CBS Chicago that they found the child with the stranger and that they took the boy and looked after him until the detective picked him up.
Colon wrote on the GoFundMe page that has received almost 36,000 donations: “I am establishing this fundraiser to support him and the caregivers who will be tasked with raising, caring for, and supporting Aiden as he and his support system embark on this unexpected journey.” The page has received almost 36,000 donations since it was created.
She went on to say that Aiden would be cared for by his loving family, but that he would have a long road ahead of him to grieve, find stability, and finally figure out how to navigate life as an orphan.