Archives

Baby Boy Becomes an Orphan After July Fourth Parade Shooting Suspect Killed His Parents

Currents News Staff

In Highland Park, Illinois, a community is grieving after enduring the unthinkable. Two-year-old Aiden McCarthy is now an orphan following the July 4th parade shooting that killed seven people – including his parents Irina and Kevin.

“I don’t know how they’re going to tell him,” said Adrienne Rosenblatt, a neighbor of the victims.

Senator Tammy Duckworth says Good Samaritans found baby Aiden underneath his father who died at the scene.

“I pulled up,” said Greg Ring, a Highland Park Parade-goer, “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.’”

The suspect “Robert Crimo III” made his first court appearance Wednesday and now faces seven counts of first-degree murder.

The victims ranged in age from their 30s to their 80s. Dozens more were injured in the attack.

“There are many other charges that we are reviewing with respect to the other individuals who have sadly been injured by this,” said Eric Rinehart, Lake County State’s Attorney. “Frankly, who were present on the scene, they were shot at. That may also constitute an attempt murder charge.”

Local authorities say the suspect – who is now being held without bond –opened fire from a rooftop as the parade got underway.

More than 70 high-velocity rounds were fired with a rifle – similar to an AR-15 – according to a spokesperson with the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.

Authorities also say the suspect contemplated carrying out another attack in Madison, Wisconsin – with another weapon in his car but ultimately did not go through with that attack.

Texas Community Prays Rosary For 53 Migrants Who Died In Truck

By Currents News Staff and Catholic News Service

SAN ANTONIO (CNS) — A rosary was held Monday morning for the 53 migrants who died last week after being found in the back of a tractor-trailer in San Antonio.

The archbishop of San Antonio offered prayers for dozens of people found dead as well as more than a dozen survivors discovered June 27.

“We pray for the souls of the … people who died in such a cruel, inhuman manner this evening,” Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller said in a statement soon after first responders made the gruesome discovery about 6 p.m. local time.

Authorities said the victims were migrants. They said the truck, found on a remote back road in San Antonio, appeared to be part of a smuggling operation.

Rubén Minutti, Mexico consul general in San Antonio, said 27 of the people who died are believed to be of Mexican origin based on documents they were carrying, the Associated Press reported.

Roberto Velasco Álvarez, head of the Mexican government’s North American mission, said on Twitter June 28 that in addition to the Mexican nationals, seven victims were originally from Guatemala and two were Honduran.

Officials believe the tragedy is the deadliest smuggling incident of its kind in U.S. history.

Archbishop García-Siller also asked for prayers for the survivors who were hospitalized, their families and “the first responders who assisted and saved lives and must now carry with them the memories of this scene of carnage.”

In addition, he called on people of the archdiocese “to unite in solidarity, as these brothers and sisters are members of our family.”

San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said those found alive were conscious, “hot to the touch,” and suffering from heat stroke and exhaustion.

“There were no signs of water in the vehicle, and no visible working AC unit on that rig,” he said.

Temperatures in the San Antonio area ranged from the high 90s to low 100s, according to the National Weather Service. With a few days left in the month, meteorologists said this June was already the warmest June on record in San Antonio.

St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Online Academy Celebrates Graduation

Some future leaders in the Diocese of Brooklyn celebrated a milestone, 8th grade graduation!

The St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Online Academy had its very first graduation Friday with a guest speaker from Rome: Brother Guy Consolmagno.

During the online ceremony, each of the 12 graduates offered a cherished memory from their 8th grade year, a wish for their fellow classmates and a brief look at their high school of choice.

The St. Thomas Aquinas Online Catholic Academy is the city’s only remote learning option.

The virtual kindergarten through eighth grade school is for students across the country.

The program first began in September of 2020 after COVID forced students to go remote. Some 2,400 students are enrolled.

After schools began to open again, the diocese realized the need for this kind of online learning were still there, and so the academy was made permanent.

Bishop Kevin Sweeney Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Ordination

Bishop Kevin Sweeney of the Diocese of Paterson New Jersey celebrated his 25th ordination anniversary at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Wednesday.

Bishop Sweeney thanked Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio, as well as some auxiliary bishops of Brooklyn, for helping in his formation.

Bishop Sweeney is a Queens native and served in the Diocese of Brooklyn for 23 years before he was ordained a bishop and installed as the shepherd of the Diocese of Paterson 2 years ago.

Catholic News Headlines for Friday, 07/01/22

On this special edition of Currents News, stories of faith and inspiration:

A mom and daughter team up to run their church’s food pantry.

How the work of one Queens woman is helping others to pray and strengthen their faith every single day.

How a dad’s young daughter helped to turn his life around.

Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller: America’s Immigration Laws are Broken and Wrong

A tractor trailer carrying dozens of dead or dying migrants that wound up in San Antonio managed to pass through a checkpoint in the U.S.

An Associated Press report, citing a U.S. official, says the migrants were already in the truck when it passed the checkpoint about 26 miles from Laredo.

A total of 53 migrants died in the sweltering heat inside the trailer.

Three people were arrested, including the driver of the truck, in what’s being called one of the deadliest migrant incidents in U.S. history.

Joining us now to talk about how the church is responding to this tragedy is Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

Catholic News Headlines for Thursday, 06/30/22

Another win for Catholics at the Supreme Court. On the last day of their session the Justices handed down rulings on two big cases related to climate and immigration.

Russian forces have pulled out of Snake Island in the Black Sea in what’s seen as a big win for Ukraine.

Currents News will be taking a break for the week of 4th of July.

Why Overturning Roe v. Wade Means Nothing in New York

Friday’s Supreme Court decision did nothing to change the legality of abortion in New York.

The 2019 “Reproductive Health Act” made abortion a fundamental right in the state and legally, it is impossible to enact regulations or restrictions on abortion as most other states have done.

Kristen Curran, Director of Government Relations for the New York State Catholic Conference, joins Currents News to explain.