Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering was marching in last year’s Fourth of July parade when gun shots began to ring out.

In the year since, she has seen the town come together in its time of need. But as the anniversary approaches, emotions still run high.

“My community is still very much grieving, still unsettled, still working through something that no community should ever have to,” Rotering said.

She has traveled from Highland Park to Washington D.C and all points in between testifying on the need for gun control legislation.

“Having conversations with folks who have been strong Second Amendment supporters, games folks, people who like to hunt, when we talk about this situation, a lot of them agree that this is too much,” Rotering said.

This year’s Fourth of July festivities will be noticeably different from years past. Instead of a traditional parade, the community will hold a remembrance ceremony and a walk down the parade route.

A picnic and concert will then be held in the evening.

“I think it’s vital for people to recognize the depth of this kind of pain and trauma is really indescribable,” Rotering said.

Read more coverage of Highland Park:

• How a Group of Highland Park Volunteers Played a Vital Role in Responding to July 4 Parade Shooting
• Local Legislators Spent Years Trying to Pass Gun Laws. After Highland Park’s Deadly Parade Shooting, Illinois Took Action
• Where the Alleged Highland Park Gunman’s Case Stands 1 Year After Mass Shooting
• The Aftermath of Mass Shootings Infiltrates Every Corner of Survivors’ Lives
• On July 4 We Remember Mass Shooting Victims, Names on a List That Continues to Grow