Funeral is today for Highland Park shooting victim Kevin McCarthy, young dad whose wife was also killed

Kevin and Irina McCarthy, 35 & 37, were among seven people
killed and dozens injured in the July 4 Independence parade shooting in Highland Park. They are survived by their 2-year-old son Aiden, who was with
them when the gunfire broke out. Aiden was scooped up by a stranger and later
reunited with his grandfather at the police station.

An online
funeral home obituary notes that McCarthy “was celebrating our nation’s independence with
his young family.” The notice further describes him as a “jubilant father to
Aiden” and “exuberant husband to Irina”, who was also known as “Uncle Kevvie”
to one relative.

“Kevin was charming, warm, bright, and brought
the fun to every situation. He was mischievous, a generous friend and
kind to everyone who he met. Kevin’s irrepressible zest for life and his
family and friends will remain with us always,” his family wrote.

Irina McCarthy was memorialized in a July 12 service at
a nearby funeral home in Skokie. “Our hearts are shattered. The pain is
unbearable. There are rivers of tears. We don’t want to be here, nor
should we be here today,” Rabbi Dovid Flinkenstein said at the service.