Communication Guidance

The City of Highland Park (the City) has compiled the recommendations in this section to help community members share information about the Highland Park shooting in a compassionate, trauma-informed manner.  The information below is based on guidance provided by the Department of Justice Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) and is consistent with recommendations provided to service providers. 

These recommendations are provided as part of ongoing efforts to balance diverse needs within the community as we approach the one-year remembrance. These guidelines are shared for the consideration of community members interested in understanding best practices that support the long-term resiliency of communities impacted by gun violence. If you have any questions, please let us know.

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Introduction

In the aftermath of the Highland Park shooting, our community responded to a violent tragedy with compassion, empathy, and generosity. From the beginning and in the months that have followed, the City has benefitted greatly from the guidance of the OVC in implementing a trauma-informed approach to our resources, support services, communications, and event planning. The OVC team has been generous with their expertise in supporting the long-term resiliency of victims and communities that have survived similar mass violence. The OVC immediately shared with the City a maxim that has proven to be a North Star: do no harm. This challenges us as a community to think beyond our own comfort levels, to consider as carefully and as thoroughly as possible the potential and inadvertent consequences of the words and images we use to talk about the impacts of this tragedy and memorialize those who were killed.

As we approach the one-year mark, community members have again expressed interest in grassroots memorial activities, such as creating yard signs, car decals, social media posts, and other items intended to raise money for the Highland Park Community Foundation’s Highland Park Shooting Recovery Fund. Plans are underway for numerous events designed to honor the memory of those who were killed, including several that are community-planned.