Parishioners gather at Highwood's St. James Church to in memory of fellow congregants who died in Highland Park massacre
HIGHWOOD, Ill. (CBS) -- Multiple vigils were held Thursday evening for the victims of the July 4th parade massacre in Highland Park.
As CBS 2's Jermont Terry reported, one vigil was held at St. James Church in Highwood – a church that some of the victims who died attended.
Several church members will never walk back through the doors of the church, and others will have lasting scars when they finally return. But their church family will be there when they do.
There were hymns of praise as the St. James Church family reflected. The deadly parade shooting hits the St. James Parish harder – as it falls especially close to home.
Eduardo Uvaldo, 69, was a worshiper at the church. The family of Nicolas Toledo, 78, attends the church too. Uvaldo and Toledo were both killed in the massacre, and a third church member underwent surgery, but survived.
Gia Medina knows them all. She said Uvaldo was a longtime friend of her family.
"I was there a half a block away from the situation," Medina said.
Medina was out for the parade with her own family, including her elderly mother.
"She's older, and thank goodness my son was with us, because my son pretty much told us that he dragged her, grabbed her from the hips, and just pushed her and pushed her - because she sort of just froze," Medina said.
As the St. James family prays, Medina considers herself blessed not to have been injured – especially when she reflects on how close she stood to those whose lives were ripped away.
"I have a second chance of life - another second opportunity of my life, and all my family members – because there were like 10 of us there," Medina said. "So it's a second chance - so that's why I'm here to pray. We're so grateful that we're alive."
While Medina is thankful her family is safe, she prays for families who can't say the same.
"For the strength – for God to give them the strength to move on," she said. "It's a very difficult situation for everybody that was there - to go back to a normal life. How long that's going to be for everybody is going to be different."
As some point out the streets of the parade route will reopen, Medina said she is not ready to go back right now. For many, when they do venture that way, it will never feel the same.
A vigil was also held Thursday night at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park. U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) was in attendance.
"This is the power of people coming together – to first demand change, and through their efforts, effect change," Schneider said.
Hundreds attended the Sunset Woods Park vigil.
A third vigil was held by Highland Park's Jewish community at the Central Avenue Synagogue.
Leaders at the synagogue said the suspect in the shooting walked in back in April wearing all black and carrying a backpack. Security searched his bag and found no weapons.