The family of the 8-year-old boy shot during the Highland Park mass shooting said Friday he has returned to critical condition after a brief period of progress.
Cooper Roberts is paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the abdomen at the fourth of July parade. In an update on Friday, his family said his condition is fluctuating.
Roberts remains in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). He was downgraded to serious condition briefly Thursday, but moved back to critical based on his latest CT scan, family says. The scan showed "concerning fluid in his pelvis is an abscess." Medical teams are conferring Friday on how to evacuate the fluid. Roberts' spiking fever has also returned due to the infection.
However, the family did share good news. Roberts was able to take liquid by mouth for the first time Thursday - an orange Popsicle. He also went outside Thursday for the first time since July 4 in his wheelchair.
The family also received a care package from Roberts' favorite baseball team, the Milwaukee Brewers. It included a jersey with his name on it. The family says the package "really lifted his spirits."
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created to help the family. It has since raised $1.6 million with a goal of $2 million.
