(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An 8-year-old boy remains in critical condition after a bullet from the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park severed his spine.
Cooper Roberts is in “critical but stable” condition at the University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital. After being shot in the chest at the parade, he was airlifted Monday after being initially treated at another hospital near the incident.
Cooper was with his mother Keely Roberts, Zion Elementary School District 6’s superintendent, who also was shot and is recovering, according to a statement from the family.
His twin brother, Luke, was treated for shrapnel wounds to a leg.
Cooper’s situation is more dire.
He has undergone many surgeries and currently is on a ventilator, said a spokesman for the Roberts family, Anthony Loizzi.
“After several surgeries, the little guy is fighting as hard as he can,” according to a GoFundMe set up to help the family pay medical costs. “His medical bills will be significant as will the therapy that will follow.”
Seven people were killed and dozens wounded when a gunman with a high-powered rifle opened fire on a crowd in downtown Highland Park celebrating the Fourth of July. Robert Crimo III, 21, has been charged with murder in the mass shooting and, according to prosecutors, has confessed.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire & Chicago Sun-Times 2022. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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