HEROIC FINAL ACT
Heartbreaking words of toddler Aiden McCarthy orphaned in Highland Park mass shooting after father died protecting him
A TWO-year old boy left orphaned after the mass shooting in Highland Park spoke heartbreaking words after his father died protecting him.
"Mommy and Daddy are coming soon," said little Aiden McCarthy as he was reunited with his grandfather at an Illinois police station.
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Kevin McCarthy, 37, died protecting his son from a gunman who opened fire on paradegoers outside Chicago on July 4.
Aiden's mom Irina, 35, was also among the seven people killed in the attack during a Fourth of July parade.
"He had Aiden under his body when he was shot," Aiden's grandfather Michael Levberg said of his son-in-law.
Aiden's paternal grandmother Margo McCarthy was also injured in the shooting as she helped the couple care for the boy during the parade.
HIGHLAND PARK SHOOTING
"She was holding Aiden when the shooting started," her cousin Montgomery Kersten told the , adding that Margo was struck in the neck and ear.
Kevin McCarthy was mortally wounded when he was struck in the femoral artery, Kersten said.
"As she fell, Aiden was under his father," said Kersten.
"I'm sure it was God looking out for him. The Lord saved Aiden and saved Margo."
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ORPHANED IN MASSACRE
Aiden was separated from his parents with another couple reportedly rescuing him during the chaos.
Lauren Silva, 38, said she and her boyfriend ran out of a parking garage after they heard gunshots during the Independence Day parade.
The two had just eaten breakfast when the sound stopped them in their tracks.
"We were just opening the door to walk up the stairs and we heard it... boom, boom, boom, boom, boom," Silva told .
"And it sounded like someone was, like, pounding on the glass door."
Silva and her boyfriend were near suspected killer Robert E Crimo when he allegedly opened fire on a rooftop, killing at least seven and injuring over 25.
"I didn't hear one scream at all, it was eerie quiet," Silva said.
She and her boyfriend responded to the violence and ran to assist the victims.
Silva ran to the basement of the garage with another family to care for Aiden.
"He kept asking if mom and dad are going to come back soon," Silva said.
They stayed in the garage for what felt like 20 minutes before the two reconnected with her boyfriend, Silva said.
Aiden was reunited with his grandparents after another couple brought him to the fire department, reported.
Dana and Greg Ring said they grabbed the uninjured child before attempting to search for his parents.
They made the decision to bring him to the fire department and a Highland police detective brought Aiden to his grandparents.
A has been started to raise funds for the boy.
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"On behalf of his family, and with their permission, I am establishing this fundraiser to support him and the caregivers who will be tasked with raising, caring for, and supporting (the child) as he and his support system embark on this unexpected journey," the organizer wrote.
So far, they have raised over $2.6million for Aiden.
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