HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The mayor of north suburban Highland Park is praising a White House initiative to help communities such as hers cope with the aftermath of mass shootings.
It's been nearly a year and a half since seven people were killed and dozens of others were wounded by a gunman at Highland Park's Fourth of July parade last year.
Mayor Nancy Rotering said Highland Park has not received any federal funding to help cover the financial costs to her community.
She spoke about "not only of the cost to the city of Highland Park in terms of the immediate days after with the investigation, but also the impact on businesses, the impact on people continuing to need help even now 16 months after."
"We know that there are many people if not thousands who will continue to need trauma-informed mental healthcare after experiencing this type of horrific event," Rotering added.
She said the recently created White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention will help Highland Park and other communities get federal aid to help them deal with the aftermath of mass shootings.
Rotering also said the federal government needs to respond to gun violence with the same levels of support it gives to communities after natural disasters.
"When a town is hit by a tornado or a train derailment, the federal government knows these are the things that need to be done. There is a similar opportunity here to help communities dealing with gun violence."
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