Olivia Krumholz (HPHS Class of 2015)

 Three missed calls and a text from Mom saying “Please call me now” at 10:42 am on July 4th as I was getting ready to meet friends. I prepared myself for bad news. I rushed to Google the unthinkable -  “Shooting Highland Park.” There was only one Tweet from an old neighbor.


And then - 

Dad just left he is looking for Adam, Ethan is trying to get out of Sunset.

Did you hear there was a shooting in HP?

Are you in Highland Park? There was a shooting 

Breaking: Mass Shooting in Highland Park, IL 

Are your parents at the HP parade? Are you hearing about it? 

Alert: Shooting at 4th of July Parade in Highland Park 

I heard 9 people were shot. 

Adam is safe, Dad is coming home. 

Active shooter in Highland Park. 

I heard 20 people were shot. 

Turn on CNN. 

Ethan just got home. 

Olivia are you okay? I heard there was a shooter in HP??

The shooter was on top of Uncle Dans. 

Zoom in you can see bodies on the ground.

Turn on Channel 5. 

Turn on CNN. 

Look at Instagram there is a 3 year old missing his family. 

The shooter is suspected to be a Caucasian male 18-20 with long black hair. 

Highland Park Shooter Still at Large. 


Then time stood still as we learned the shooter is a familiar face. 


Then we feared and cried for the injured - bloody, bruised, and broken. 


Then, one by one, our hearts broke seven times. 


Then we learned about the people they were taken from too soon. A child is orphaned. A daughter said one last I love you and kept running as her mother fell to the ground. Grandchildren, sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, students. 


It’s fragmented and blurry. How can you feel human emotion for something so inhumane? Disgust, fear, anger, sadness, hopelessness - all feel like an understatement. 


What is clear is love. Love for my community for finding tremendous love after devastating hate. Love for each individual using their dynamic capabilities to aid - creating gofundme's, making food, donating, sharing words, organizing resources, offering yoga, meditation, prayer, therapy, comfort. Love that we are empowered for change.

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