HIGHLAND PARK, Illinois (CBS) — The parade route is still the scene of an investigation as police and FBI continue to search the area for evidence.
Some families are starting to get back the things they were so desperate to leave behind. CBS 2 Asal Rezaei attended Highland Park High School, 433 Vine Ave, where a home care center has been set up.
This is a place where many families come to look for their belongings — things like chairs, shoes, and their children’s toys. It has also been a place where people come to drop off donations for those who also come here for trauma therapy.
There is still so much to process, both mentally and physically for the victims of this shooting.
The police are bringing items they’ve already examined here to release them to their owners; some items are too big to be brought here, like one woman’s car. She says her van was parked near the parade route and she hasn’t had access to it or the belongings of the rest of her family are still behind the crime tape at the crime scene.
While the FBI helped her get her van back, they are still waiting for a lot of things to show up here in high school, that woman, a grandmother, tells us what she went through that day and how she feels now.
“I saw people start running in front of me. At that point I turned quickly to the right, that would be in the direction of where the shooter was, and I saw several bodies on the ground, and I just ran,” she said. †
“It would just be nice to get our stuff back, if they’re around.”
There’s everything here from crisis counseling for people to spiritual care, therapy dogs, and childcare.
The Illinois Attorney General’s office will even provide information on how to access crime victim compensation programs.
The counseling and resources here are truly for anyone who needs it now, including anyone who attended the parade, anyone who lost someone that day, or just anyone in the community experiencing emotional distress.
Thursday and Friday they are open here from 9am to 9pm. Saturday is determined.
Anyone seeking downtown services should enter at entrance H, at Woodpath Lane and St. Johns Avenue. You must bring a state ID or driver’s license to enter the building. Security works with anyone who doesn’t have ID as they have been left on the parade route.
Who and what will be the services offered?
- Crisis Guidance
- Trauma-informed therapists
- Mental Care
- Red Cross Mental Health Assistance in Disasters
- IL Attorney General’s Office will provide information on accessing the benefits of the IL Crime Victim Compensation Program
- Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office provides district-level victim services and basic criminal case updates
- FBI Victim Services
- Therapy dogs
- Childcare for visitors to the FAC
Who should have access to which resources?
FBI Victim Services Resources:
- Members of the public present and injured in Monday’s parade
- Relatives of deceased victims
- Members of the public attend Monday’s parade and experience emotional distress
Local Community Resources:
- Any member of the public who is negatively affected by Monday’s events, whether they attend the parade or not.
What assets are available now, and where can the public find their assets?
Easily identifiable assets dropped in the locations below (areas 1, 4, 5 and 6 on the attached Google map) can be picked up from the FAC during opening hours:
- On Central between Green Bay and Second
- At Central between First and the railway
- On the second between Central and Laurel
- On First between Central and Laurel
What is an easily recognizable accessory?
- Any item that can be easily reunited with an owner. Examples are generally purses, bags, bicycles, telephones and strollers.
When will other items be available and why is there a delay?
- After items have been assessed for research value, they can be retrieved. This process will unfortunately take some time, but we will update the community as soon as possible.
Can someone pick up other people’s stuff?
- Everyone is only allowed to pick up their own belongings.
