A family representative said Thursday that an 8-year-old kid who was shot in the chest by a shooter who murdered seven people and injured scores more during a Fourth of July parade may never walk again.
Cooper Roberts was at a holiday celebration with his twin brother, Luke, and their parents on Monday when gunfire rang out in a Chicago suburb, according to family friend Anthony Loizzi during a news conference.
Cooper was shot in the chest and sustained serious harm, including a severed spinal cord, according to Loizzi.
Cooper, a baseball enthusiast and Milwaukee Brewers fan, was on a ventilator at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago on Thursday. Cooper’s mom, Keely Roberts, was also shot, and his twin brother Luke was hit with shrapnel, according to Loizzi.
Loizzi said Keely Roberts, superintendent of Zion Elementary School District 6, was wounded in the leg and foot. She had two surgery and was released on Wednesday so she could be with Cooper.
Luke has also been freed from the hospital, according to Loizzi.
Cooper, who had surgery to close up his tummy on Wednesday, may never walk again, but he is showing strength, which he carries with his mom.
Loizzi added that she’s just a warrior. It seems like Cooper has that part of her in him, since he’s battling as hard as he can.
Donations are coming in to a GoFundMe page set up to assist the family with medical costs and Cooper’s continued treatment.
According to Loizzi, the Roberts family is “heartbroken,” yet they continue to find courage in one another. Cooper is the youngest of six kids.
They’re concentrating all of their efforts right now on Cooper, he explained.
In the Thanksgiving carnage, a 21-year-old Illinois man has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. According to records, he purchased four firearms in 2020, including the AR-15-style rifle used in Monday’s attack.
