An 8-year-old boy is paralyzed from the waist down after getting shot in the chest in Highland Park parade attack

Originally Published: 07 JUL 22 19:27 ET

By Joe Sutton and Christina Maxouris, CNN

(CNN) -- An 8-year-old boy who was attending the Highland Park Fourth of July parade with his parents and twin brother was shot and is now paralyzed from the waist down, family spokesperson Anthony Loizzi told CNN on Thursday.

Cooper Roberts was shot in the chest and suffered several significant injuries, including a severed spinal cord, Loizzi said in a virtual news conference earlier Thursday.

He remains in the hospital sedated and on a ventilator, in critical but stable condition, Loizzi said.

"It's going to be a new normal for him moving forward," Loizzi said. "It sounds (like) he'll have significant issues moving forward, especially with walking."

Cooper and his twin, Luke, loved the parade, Loizzi said. That beloved event ended in tragedy when a gunman started firing a semi-automatic rifle into the crowd from a rooftop. Seven people were killed, and dozens of others -- including the Roberts -- were wounded.

Luke suffered injuries from shrapnel, was treated and released and is now recovering at home, Loizzi said. Their mother, Keely Roberts, "was shot in the leg and foot area" and underwent several surgeries, the spokesperson added.