CHOOSING GRATITUDE

Stories emerge out of the darkest of times. They can be stories of anger and of pain, of challenges and perseverance, of courage and uplift.

This spectrum of experiences and emotions has been at the heart of the journey of Highland Park’s Roberts family this past year. The mass shooting that terrorized parade goers at last year’s 4th of July Highland Park celebration altered lives forever.

Seven families lost loved ones, and countless more were injured. Among the victims was 8-year-old Cooper Roberts, who faced life-threatening injuries and, a year later, continues his rehabilitation. Cooper is currently paralyzed from the waist down and using a wheelchair.

“With the anniversary around the corner, we’re like most survivors,” says Keely Roberts, Cooper’s mother, who also suffered a bullet wound to her foot during the shooting. “It’s weighing heavily on our minds. We’ve definitely spent some time reflecting on the past year and where we were that day—just like everybody else who was present.”

July 4, 2022, started out a beautiful day. Sunshine. Blue Skies. Perfect weather for a parade. Roberts, her husband Jason, and Cooper and his twin brother, Luke, were there, with so many others. There was light, and then the darkness descended. Bullets fired through the air and people scattered to escape, followed by the sound of sirens— police cars, fire trucks, ambulances.

And while that dark shadow lingers for both the community and the families impacted by the tragedy, Roberts says she and her husband agreed to live in the present and face the darkness head on. They would encourage their family to dwell not on what they’d lost with Cooper’s injuries, but what they had gained in the support from the community and beyond.

“When I think about where we are now a year later, we as a family have made the conscious decision to look at all the things that we have to be grateful for,” says Roberts. “One of the most important decisions we made very early on after the shooting was to fight the pull into the dark. It’s more that an urge. It’s an all-out pull. But the good we have seen from people far outweighs the darkness that hurt us.”

The big take away for the Roberts is that so much light has come from the tragedy, and as a family, they keep fighting. It is a struggle to keep moving forward every day, but they say it is possible because of how blessed they feel to have so much love and support from local and regional communities, as well as from people around the country and the globe.

The family does experience rage and anger. There are moments when it’s incredibly hard, but for the most part, it’s a testament to their Highland Park neighbors that Roberts looks around and feels fortunate. She and Jason teach their children the lesson of gratefulness.

“The juxtaposition of this experience for us is that we’ve been a victim of the worst of what people can do, but we’ve also been blessed by the very best in what people can do,” Roberts says. “There really is so much better in the world than there is bad. And although it is incredibly painful, and the road is long and steep, and there is a lot for which we grieve, there’s also so much that we’re thankful for.”

Roberts is particularly grateful for the love and support from the medical professionals Cooper and her family received since he was transported and admitted to the hospital the day of the shooting. From the initial treatment for his severe injuries through his rehab this past year, she says that support and Cooper’s resilience, even at his young age, together have given him a strong will to improve.

“There is no quit in that boy and that is the truth. He is truly exceptional. I know my mom goggles are on, but I feel like I can be fact checked and be proven right on this. My chips are all-in on that kid,” Roberts says.

Cooper and his twin brother, Luke, were bonus babies, born 10 years after their other siblings. The two have always been deeply close. Roberts describes Cooper as sunshine in human form with a magnetic personality, both empathetic and athletic.

“He genuinely loves being a teammate, as much as he loves playing at any sport he’s engaged in because that’s just who Cooper is,” she says. “He cares about others more than he cares about himself. Even at his age, he’s friends with all of the girls and the boys. He came home last year from Valentine’s Day with his backpack popping full of Valentine’s from the whole school.”

Since the shooting, Cooper’s relationship with Luke has been emotional for Roberts to watch. The two of them, as twins, have never spent a moment of their life apart. Not a day. Not a night. Roberts has witnessed how the pair have figured out new ways support each other and care for each other. “Luke is like this guard dog for Cooper, even though Cooper never needs it. Luke is just so loyal, and so the sun rises and sets by Cooper for him,” Roberts says.

“Luke is so concerned at all times with how Cooper is doing, what can he do for him, and I think that there are so many things that we’re watching that I don’t think Luke at this age is even aware of. He does it just because of that unspoken bond between twins.”

Since Cooper got started using a wheelchair, Luke won’t leave his side. Even the house is filled with many wheels, Cooper in his wheelchair, and Luke on his scooter. A recent NBC Today Show report showed the two riding together along a sidewalk at Lake Michigan.

“Luke won’t get off his scooter, and he’ll ride his scooter from the minute he wakes up until the minute he goes to bed, and he doesn’t get off the scooter,” Roberts says. “Both boys’ feet don’t hit the floor in the house because Cooper’s don’t.”

Cooper and Luke’s parents tell the boys the one thing the experience of the last year can’t take away from them is their joy, that no one gets to lay on top of a building and try to kill your family and other people in your community. They can take many things, but they don’t get to take their joy.

“I tell them as a family they own their joy, and we will fight tooth and nail to make sure that Luke and Cooper know that. They still have control over their happiness,” Roberts says. “I think that’s so much part of a survivor’s journey is that loss of control is really hard. It’s really hard to deal with the fact that you couldn’t control this or keep it from happening.”

Nsw 0701 7 — Cooper Roberts of Highland Park continues his rehabilitation after being injured during the 4th of July shooting last year.

The Roberts told the boys they haven’t lost who they are, that nobody gets to take the deep down inside piece of him that always made them Cooper and Luke. Nobody can take that. Keely said she recently reminded Luke that he’s still the same Luke that held her hand and walked to the parade with her.

“It’s really important that they’re going to focus on being happy in their life, whatever that life looks like. For Cooper, that’s means right now we are working really hard to get him access to the best medical care we can,” she says. “Cooper wants to walk again.”

Cooper’s love of sports continues, and for now he’s playing adaptive sports. As soon as he was home from the hospital he wanted to head to the park and play tennis. There’s no quit in him. Luke sometimes takes to the other side of the net in a similar adaptive wheelchair and the two battle it out.

“We keep reminding Cooper and promising him that we’re going to do everything we can, and we don’t break a promise,” Roberts says. “We always tell him the truth no matter how hard that is, but we’re always going to keep rehabbing and working on recovery. We don’t know what that’s going to look like, but there’s no limit.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP

There are a number of ways to support the Roberts family. Specific details are listed below. A Go Fund Me campaign has been established to raise funds for Cooper’s care and also for a new house that’s accessible for Cooper to easily move around in his wheelchair.

“It’s not just so Cooper has the freedom to physically move around, it’s an issue of dignity and independence,” Keely Roberts says.

To contribute to the Go Fund Me Campaign for Cooper Roberts and the Roberts family, visit gofundme.com/f/coopers-home.

The nonprofit charity Help Hope Live has established a fund in Cooper’s name and accepts donations by check or credit card.

To Donate to the Cooper Roberts fund at Help Hope Live, checks can be sent to For Cooper Roberts, Help Hope Live, 2 Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 100, 100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, PA 19087. Online donations can be made by visiting helphopelive.org/campaign/21587.

On July 8 at 2 p.m., the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) will host “HP Cares for Cooper” at the Highland Park Recreation Center. VIP Ticket to the show are $75 and there is a suggested donation of $20 for general admission. All proceeds from the event go directly to the Roberts family.