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Who was Nicolas Toledo? Highland Park shooting victim, 78, was visiting family from Mexico

'He was the one who saved all of our lives. It would have gone to me, my boyfriend, or my cousins,' said Toledo's granddaughter

Merely 10 minutes into the celebrations of the 4th of July parade, civilians were traumatized by a long-lasting firing that claimed several lives. Robert "Bobby" E Crimo III, identified as the person of interest for the mass shooting at Highland Park, Chicago, Illinois, on Monday, July 4, was arrested shortly after. The officials explain that he surrendered after a short pursuit and was spotted in a Honda Fit. But by the time he was caught, he had already claimed 6 lives and injured almost 38 people. 

One of the first victims of the mass shooting was identified as Nicolas Toledo. In a conversation with CBS 2's Tim McNicholas, Toledo's granddaughter Kimberly Rangel said, "We are all feeling pretty numb. We're all pretty broken inside." As soon as Bobby opened fire, which the officials believe he did from a rooftop, people started panicking and running away from the scene. In the aftermath, baby strollers, beach chairs, backpacks, etc., could be seen vacated. Some civilians even had to witness pools of blood whilst escaping. 

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His other granddaughter, Xochil Toledo, told Chicago Suntimes that Nicolas was initially hesitant of going to the parade as he used a walker and didn't want to deal with a huge crowd. She remembered that her late grandfather was positioned in the middle of the family members as a band marched by them playing music. They didn't realize the shooting until the bullets started coming toward them. “He was the one who saved all of our lives. It would have gone to me, my boyfriend, or my cousins,” said Xochil. She explained that Nicolas suffered 3 gunshot wounds and died on the spot, while her father was injured in the arm while protecting Nicolas. Xochil's boyfriend, whose name is not known yet, was also shot in the back but was taken to the hospital by another civilian. “We were all in shock. We were crying. We couldn’t believe all that had happened. We couldn’t breathe. We are just very upset with everything going on,. We feel weak, numb," said Xochil. 

Who was Nicolas Toledo?

Nicolas Toledo was a 78-year-old man who was a victim of Robert "Bobby" E Crimo III's nasty mass killing on the 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Chicago, Illinois. According to her granddaughter Xochil Toledo, he was shot 3 times and died on the spot. Nicolas had spent most of his life in Morelos, Mexico, and had come to Illinois only two months ago to visit his family. The place where he was killed was also the place where he was killed by a car and had suffered injuries because of which the family wanted him to stay with them. Xochil Toledo also said that her grandfather liked to draw, enjoyed fishing, and loved taking walks around Highland Park. "He never wanted to be inside. He always wanted to be outside. He also had a sense of humor and would joke about her grandmother taking his shoes," said Xochil, "He was a sweet, caring grandfather,” Toledo said. “He wanted only the best for his kids and grandchildren."

The family, after his tragic death, started a GoFundMe page to help with the funeral expenses. The description reads, "My grandfather Nicolas Toledo father of 8 and grandfather to many left us this morning July 4th, what was supposed to be a fun family day turned into a horrific nightmare for us all. Not only was Nicolas a loving man, creative, adventurous, and funny. As a family, we are broken, and numb. Our condolences go out to all the other families who lost a loved one today. But today Nicolas is our guardian angel. We ask you please keep our family and all the families of this horrible tragedy in your prayers and stay strong as a community."