Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering considers people who went out of their way to aid others as a gunman was firing into the crowd more than worthy of praise.
The suspect was ordered held without bail at his first court appearance on Wednesday, where prosecutors revealed he fired more than 80 rounds during the attack.
"We considered everyone who was there on 4th of July a hero just for running and grabbing their children, and doing what they could to stay safe," said Lindsay Meltzer, co-owner of Bright Bowls smoothie shop, where roughly 100 people took shelter after the shooting.
As more businesses began to open and locals started to trickle onto the shaken town’s streets, the people in Highland Park felt life return to something different.