Highland Park shooting survivor sings outside United Center to support Uvalde families
Highland Park parade shooting survivor turns tragedy into mission to help Uvalde families
A 10-year-old Highland Park boy is on a mission to heal the broken hearts of parents who have lost loved ones in a school shooting.
CHICAGO - A 10-year-old Highland Park boy came up with a way to raise money for school shooting victims in Texas – he sang outside a concert at the United Center.
The backstory:
Beau Beasley knew what he wanted to do outside of United Center, where his favorite artist, Alex Warren performed on Monday.
"I’m 10 years old. I’m singing. I just sang 10 Alex Warren songs to raise $10,000 for Lives Robbed… I picked Alex Warren because he’s one of my favorite artists," he said.
Beau says Alex Warren’s music got him through a tragic time.
He survived the July 4th 2022 shooting at the Highland Park Parade. Seven people were killed and dozens more were injured.
Beau was six at the time. He escaped the gunfire, but the trauma stayed with him. He says Warren’s song, "You’ll Be Alright, Kid," helped him through some of his darkest moments.
Now Beau hopes to share a healing journey with others.
He’s raising money for Lives Robbed, the nonprofit founded by Uvalde mothers to honor the children killed at Robb Elementary. In May 2022, before the Highland Park shooting, a former student shot and killed 19 students, 2 teachers, and wounded 18 others at the school in Uvalde, Texas.
When Beau asked fans outside the United Center to help him, they erupted into song. Of course, everyone knew the words.
Their voices, stronger by connection, are something Beau hopes will help the mothers of those children in Texas get through their heartache.
Beau said, "I wanted to help the moms, and they do important work and they want to preserve their daughter’s memories."
What's next:
Beau attended the concert with a sign, asking Warren to pick him to push the button, a fan interaction moment that releases confetti.
Warren usually picks someone from the audience who has gone through a difficult time.
The Source: The information in this article was reported by FOX Chicago's Joanie Lum.