Friends vow to care for toddler orphaned in shooting
CHICAGO — Mourners shared memories and tears Tuesday during the funeral for the mother of a 2-year-old boy who lost both his parents in the attack on a suburban Chicago Independence Day parade, and they pledged to care for young Aiden McCarthy and ensure he shares in their memories of his mom and dad.
Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband, Kevin, died on the parade route in Highland Park on July Fourth.
Strangers cared for their young son in the chaotic hours following the barrage of gunfire that killed seven people and wounded more than 30. A photo of the boy’s round-cheeked face spread online, helping authorities to eventually reunite him with his mother’s parents who had lost their only daughter.
Irina McCarthy’s friends who spoke during the funeral in Wilmette, Ill., remembered her as a big-hearted, dedicated woman who cherished her relationship with her parents and threw herself into marriage and motherhood.
Each speaker pledged to remain a part of Aiden’s life and make sure he hears stories of his parents.
Family friends recalled Irina McCarthy as her mother’s best friend and their own children’s favorite babysitter.
“(Aiden) will be cared for by all of us,” said Vic Lichtenberg, a friend of Irina’s parents. “He will have a family, a home and he’ll thrive and grow with us. Every moment, every time I look at that child, I see Irina.”
Details of services for Kevin McCarthy, 37, have not been publicly announced.
Lake Country prosecutors charged Robert E. Crimo III with seven counts of murder and said they plan to follow up with attempted murder charges for each person wounded in the attack.