Although we mentioned the impact the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, had on students, the investigation and police activity fall outside the scope of a news site like ours.
Orange yarn tied around rocks left in Highland Park (Kevin Lynch/Prospector Now)But make no mistake: When a community is shaken by a wave of sudden and deadly violence, the ripple extends well into the schools, reports Ella Mitchell in Prospect High School’s student newspaper.
A photographer for the student paper, Kevin Lynch, captured seven photographs at the scene of an extensive memorial, spanning several blocks around the shooting, including one of a collection of yarn-wrapped rocks.
The rocks, placed on a stand built by Claire and Lily Wigmore, are just one part of the memorial in downtown Highland Park. The orange yarn tied around them is a sign of opposition to gun violence.
“When hunters wear orange and go into the woods, they’re saying they’re not the target,” the paper quoted one community member as saying. “When we wear it, we’re saying we don’t want to be the victims of gun violence.”
For more photos, please visit the paper’s site.
Earlier this summer, students and teachers gathered in the gym at Mechanics Grove Elementary School in nearby Mundelein to paint pictures and inspirational messages on fist-size rocks in honor of the Highland Park shooting victims.
“We wanted to do something to help our neighbors in Highland Park and we wanted our community to be active in the healing process,” said Jill Unger, District 75 Teaching and Learning Coordinator. “We hope the children in Highland Park will see these messages on the rocks and know we support them.”
