2-year-old found bloodied underneath dying parents after parade shooting: 'Mama, Dada come get me'

The boy's parents, Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35, were among seven people killed in the tragedy.

ByTeddy Grant and Morgan Winsor ABCNews logo
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
Highland Park community mourn victims of July 4 parade shooting
Seven people were killed in the mass shooting, including Irina McCarthy, 35, Kevin McCarthy, 37, Jacki Sundheim, 64, Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, and Stephen Straus, 88.

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. -- The parents of a young child were two of the victims in the mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois.

Irina McCarthy, 35, and Kevin McCarthy, 37, were among the seven people killed during Monday's massacre, Highland Park city manager Ghida Neukrich told ABC News. The couple leaves behind their 2-year-old son, Aiden McCarthy, who was found underneath his dying father after the shooting.

The toddler was later reunited with his grandparents, according to Neukrich.

Highland Park parade attack survivor Aiden McCarthy, whose parents Irina and Kevin McCarthy were killed at the parade, was later reunited with his grandparents.

Bystander Lauren Silva was inside a nearby parking garage with her boyfriend and his teenage son when the shooting unfolded, she told ABC News. Soon after, she noticed Aiden's parents facedown -- and the boy underneath his father.

Silva said she picked up Aiden, covered in blood and cuts, as her boyfriend tried to stop Kevin McCarthy's bleeding. They knew they couldn't help Irina, describing her face as "unrecognizable."

As the child asked for his mommy and daddy, Silva said she wanted to comfort him but knew he needed medical attention. Without a cellphone on hand to reach out for help, she handed Aiden over to parade-goers Dana and Gregory Ring.

"Every time I tried to ask him what his name was, the response he gave to me was, 'Mama, Dada come get me soon. Mommy's car come to get me soon,'" Dana Ring recalled in an interview that aired Wednesday on "Good Morning America."

MORE: Highland Park victims, including Irina and Kevin McCarthy, remembered as crime scene cleaned up

Officials identified six of the people killed in the Highland Park parade shooting on the 4th of July. A seventh person died Tuesday and has not yet been named.

Unsure of what to do, the Rings took Aiden to a nearby fire station.

"When we pulled in, the cops looked like they were getting ready for war," Gregory Ring recounted during the interview. "I'll never forget. I pulled up and I said, 'This is not our kid. It's not his blood, he's OK. What should we do?'" And the cop said, 'We can't be babysitters now. Can you take care of him?' We said, 'Of course.'"

About two to three hours later, a detective who had the Rings' telephone number contacted them about Aiden.

"He took the little boy to where families were being reunited and then he told me he was eventually reunited with his grandparents," Gregory Ring said.

WATCH: Shooting survivors describe seeing alleged gunman on roof during Highland Park 4th of July parade

Shooting survivor Abby Brosio described seeing the alleged gunman on the roof while she and her husband, Tony, attended the Highland Park Fourth of July parade with their family.

Friends of the McCarthys said Irina's parents would care for the boy going forward.

"At two years old, Aiden is left in the unthinkable position; to grow up without his parents," wrote Irina Colon on a GoFundMe account she created for the family and Aiden.

The suspected gunman -- identified by authorities as 21-year-old Robert "Bobby" Crimo III -- was charged with seven counts of first-degree murder on Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: Highland Park shooting suspect's social media littered with hatred

Highland Park parade shooting suspect Robert "Bobby" Crimo III's social media was littered with violence and hatred, the ABC7 I-Team has learned.

Crimo allegedly fired more than 70 rounds from a high-powered rifle, similar to an AR-15, into the crowd at Monday's parade, authorities said. At least 38 people were injured in the shooting.

Five victims died at the scene of the massacre on Monday, while one died at the hospital. A seventh victim died on Tuesday, authorities said.

If convicted, Crimo faces up to life in prison without parole.

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