A grieving daughter of a Highland Park parade victim has spoken out and recalled the harrowing moment her mother was shot dead.
22-year-old Cassie Goldstein was attending the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park together with her mother, 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein, when 21-year-old Robert ‘Bobby’ Crimo opened fire on the crowd from the rooftop of a local store.
After the gunfire rang out, panic erupted in the streets and people began running in all directions to escape the barrage of bullets that killed a total of seven people and injured several dozen attendees.
Among the victims of the shooting was Katherine Goldstein who was fatally shot while standing next to her daughter.
“I was standing there with my mom, and I heard what I thought were firecrackers firing into the street across from me. And then I looked up and I saw the shooter shooting down at the kids,” Katherine’s daughter, Cassie, said in an interview with NBC Nightly News.
“He shot her in the chest, and she fell down. And I knew she was dead. So I just told her that I loved her, but I couldn’t stop because he was still shooting everyone next to me.”
Bursting into tears while recalling the ordeal, Cassie went on to reveal she was forced to leave her mother’s body behind and run for her life as bullets continued raining down on the crowd.
“I just kept running, and I hid behind a trash can,” she added.
After the massacre came to a stop and the gunman fled the scene, Cassie returned to her mother and fell to her knees weeping.
“She was just a good mom, and I got 22 years with her. I got to have 22 years with the best mom in the world… I did everything with her. She was my best friend,” the grieving daughter said in a tribute to her beloved mom.
Speaking out was also Katherine’s husband who told the outlet that his wife was a “selfless” and “upbeat” person who inspired other people.
“She was really selfless, and seemingly always upbeat. She touched so many people in a positive way,” he said.
Our thoughts are with Katherine’s family and the families of all the victims of the shooting.
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