A 2-year-old boy has been left orphaned after both of his parents were killed in a mass shooting in Chicago suburb Highland Park on July 4, 2022.
Aiden McCarthy survived the shooting after his father wrapped his body around the toddler to shield him from the spray of bullets. Both his father, Kevin, and his mother, Irina, died in the shooting.
US Senator Tammy Duckworth explained that Aiden "was pulled out from underneath his father, who was still bleeding, by good Samaritans. Then, they went to work on his dad because his dad's leg was still bleeding."
Irina's father, Michael Levberg, told local news that the pair adored their young son and were hoping to have a second child together.
Aiden was walking the street alone following the shooting, eventually spotted online by neighbor Adrienne Rosenblatt, who contacted his grandparents.
Strangers also took care of the young boy. Dana and Greg Ring took care of the 2-year-old after authorities said they didn't have the capacity to do so. Eventually, Aiden was reunited with his grandparents, though they admit that he doesn't understand where his parents are.
There is more on this story in the video.
