Highland Park bar offers space for support, plans benefit concert after a regular lost his life in parade massacre
EDITOR'S NOTE: CBS 2 is retracting a portion of this story. One of the people we interviewed, Dr. Mark Hill, described events, first hand, at the Highland Park parade and the shooting. Further reporting has revealed he was not present for either and could not have witnessed any of the details he shared in our interview. We have removed his portion of the story and apologize for the error.
Dr. Hill's band, Dr. Mark and the Sutures, has also now been asked not to perform at the fundraiser at Norton's Restaurant on Saturday. The Ravinia Ramblers, a local band made up of Highland Park parents, will play instead.
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- After the July 4th parade massacre took one of their longtime customers, a neighborhood bar in Highland Park has become the space for support and healing for the community.
As CBS 2's Marissa Perlman reported Tuesday night, multiple people have called Norton's, 1905 Sheridan Rd., the "Cheers" of Highland Park. The staff are now planning for a benefit concert there this weekend.
And as they quickly learned, everyone in Highland Park was impacted by the shooting.
It was a busy Tuesday night at Norton's Restaurant, where everybody really does know your name. You probably won't find Sam Malone there, but you will find Richie Holleb.
"It's really a community place," said Holleb, the co-owner of Norton's. "A lot of people know a lot of people."
But Holleb also showed us an empty chair at his bar. Stephen Straus used to sit in the chair.
"He sat at the bar by himself," Holleb said.
Like clockwork every week, the 88-year-old stockbroker would sit at the bar among the walls covered with Chicago sports icons and well-known locals. Straus was there making fast friends with strangers.
"He was a kind soul and a gentleman, and he had a good gift of gab," Holleb said, "and people just generally easily liked him."
Straus was killed in the July 4th parade shooting. After news of his death spread, the restaurant and bar became a safe space for those seeking comfort in tragedy.
"All of a sudden, people needed to flock to a hometown place," Holleb said.
Now, Holleb is hoping music will help the community heal. A benefit concert for the victims of the parade is set for Saturday at Norton's.
The benefit show kicks off Saturday at 8:30 p.m. sharp at Norton's. All money raised will go to the Highland Park Community Foundation's July 4th Highland Park Shooting Response Fund.
Folks involved expect a packed house.