Highland Park parade shooting survivor, Cooper Roberts, continues recovery 2 years later
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) — The mother of the youngest victim in the Highland Park Fourth of July Parade shooting in 2022 said their family won't attend this year's parade but they're continuing their road to recovery two years later.
Cooper Roberts, now 10, was paralyzed from the waist down after his spinal cord was severed when he was shot. His twin brother, Luke, was injured by shrapnel.
Roberts' mother, Keely, who was also wounded in the shooting, spoke about how her family is recovering and said they will not attend the parade on Thursday.
"My family and I will not be attending the parade this year. Truthfully, I don't know if we'll ever be able to attend a parade again," she said.
She noted it's been 730 days since Cooper has been able to chase his brother in their backyard, climb playground equipment at a park, play on his soccer team or jump on his bed.
Keely said Cooper is still facing a hard road in physical therapy but has joined some adaptive sports teams. She also discussed how the shooting affected family members who weren't injured and how they were working together to deal with the trauma.
"Physically, you are left with a permanent reminder that you are not physically the same person that you were before," she said.
She said the outpouring of support for her family has been more than she ever imagined.
"For as damaging and hurtful that this dark evil did to our lives, it is balanced, even overweighed, by the goodness and the light and the love," she said.
Keely said it was difficult last week when the accused shooter was expected to change his plea to guilty but didn't.
Instead of attending the parade, Keely said her family is planning to head out of town to celebrate the holiday together.
Thursday will mark two years since the shooting that killed seven people and wounded 48 others.
The parade will return following a different route.
A remembrance ceremony will also be held.