A crowd retraces the Highland Park Fourth of July parade route on July 4, 2023, one year after a mass shooting in the suburb left seven dead. (Eunice Alpasan / WTTW News)

This July 4 in Highland Park, one year after seven people were killed and dozens more wounded in a mass shooting, the sounds of marching bands and cheers were replaced by a much more solemn gathering.

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering on June 30, 2023. (WTTW News)

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.

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It seemingly took a hometown tragedy to make it happen, but in January the statewide assault weapons ban Illinois legislators who represent Highland Park spent almost a decade fighting for became law – one of several measures Illinois legislators took in direct connection to the shooting.

A memorial to the victims of the July 4, 2022, shooting in Highland Park. (WTTW News)

The proposed legislation would ban the future sale of a list of guns defined as assault weapons. While the bill is many stages away from becoming law, leading Democrats are committed to its passage.

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering appears on "Chicago Tonight" on Oct. 10, 2022. (WTTW News)

It has been three months since seven people were killed and 48 others were injured in a shooting at Highland Park's Fourth of July Parade.

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Highland Park city council member Andres Tapia was present at the parade, and posted his personal account of the events on LinkedIn. Tapia said that publicly sharing his experience and talking about seeking help for the trauma he endured was important for him to do as a community leader.

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The Highland Park community comes together to heal. Amanda Vinicky has a live report.

Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker appear at the White House on July 11, 2022. (CNN)

Illinois officials were on hand in Washington, D.C. to commemorate President Joe Biden’s recent signing of a bipartisan gun law.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul participates in a Chicago Tonight candidate forum March 12, 2018.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul has won a hard-fought race against a crowded field of eight candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee for Illinois attorney general. He will face political neophyte and former Miss America Erika Harold who won the GOP nomination.

Democratic candidates for attorney general raise their hands Monday on “Chicago Tonight” in response to Carol Marin’s question, “Should Mike Madigan step down as chairman of the Democratic Party?”

Political leaders of the fabled Chicago Democratic machine have lost public support from a group of lawyers, one of whom may in the near future be well-placed to do more than just talk about rooting out corruption.

Meet the eight Democrats running for Illinois attorney general Monday during a special hourlong episode of “Chicago Tonight.” Watch the full video.

The two candidates looking for the Democratic nomination in the north suburban 10th Congressional District are here to talk about why they want to challenge Republican incumbent Bob Dold in November.