Man killed in Highland Park mass shooting was visiting family from Mexico
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) – One of those killed in Monday's mass shooting in Highland Park was visiting his family in the area.
The family of Nicolas Toledo told CBS 2's Tim McNicholas he was one of those shot and killed during Monday's mass shooting at the July 4th parade in Highland Park. Toledo was from Mexico and was visiting his family for about the past month.
Kimberly Rangel, Toledo's granddaughter, said her grandfather was in his late 70s, loved to go fishing, paint, and go on walks with his family in the park.
The family of Nicolas Toledo tells me he was one of the people shot and killed at the Highland Park 4th of July Parade. “We are all feeling pretty numb. We’re all pretty broken inside,” his granddaughter said. She shared these photos with @cbschicago pic.twitter.com/rDtiq5ijrL
— Tim McNicholas (@TimMcNicholas) July 4, 2022
She said her mother had called her through tears to tell her Toledo had been shot and killed.
"We are all feeling pretty numb," Rangel said. "We're all pretty broken inside."
The family said Toledo had also met and was beginning to form a bond with his great-granddaughter.
"I would just say to like hold your family tight while you can, while you still have them," Rangel said. "Like I said we didn't expect this to happen so close to home and it did. And it's not just my family affected. There are so many other families affected by this and I just hope everyone hold your family tight tonight."
Other family members of Toledo were also injured during the shooting, but they are expected to survive.
Toledo's family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to send his body back to his native Mexico.
On the page, the family said Toledo, a father of eight, "left us this morning July 4th, what was suppose to be a fun family day turned into a horrific nightmare for us all."
"Not only was Nicolas a loving man, creative, adventurous and funny," the page read. "As a family we are broken, and numb. Our condolences go out to all the other families who lost a love one today. But today Nicolas is our guardian angel. We ask you please keep our family and all the families of this horrible tragic in your prayers and stay strong as a community."
As of about 10:20 p.m. on Monday, the page has raised more than $29,000.