North Riverside Park Mall shooting injures 2 after fight, mayor says
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Two people were injured in a shooting at north Riverside Park Mall Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Joseph Mengoni said.
According to the mayor, police received a call just before 5:20 p.m. for shots fired at the mall. They determined two couples got into a physical altercation inside the mall before shots were fired.
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Two men and two women were involved; a single gunshot injured both men, Mengoni said. The two were taken to a local hospital where their conditions stabilized.
The shooting occurred inside the mall, which the mayor said had recently beefed up security including the hiring of undercover officers, who he said he believes were the first to respond to the shooting.
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Employees were escorted out a back exit to safety, processing the trauma of the event.
"It triggered off my asthma," said worker Paulette Jones through tears. "I'm just ready to go home."
Jones said she heard the gunshots loud and clear.
"I said 'i know nobody's doing firecrackers in the mall,' and then all the sudden I just see these people running and screaming," she said.
"We heard everybody running and shouting so we ran to the front and then we heard somebody say it was an active shooter," said Rafael Ortiz, employee.
Village officials said it was never an active shooter situation, but it triggered a mass panic.
"We made sure we locked the gate. That was the first thing we did. And then we shouted to everybody and made sure we escorted them to the back of the store," Ortiz said.
No gun has been recovered, the mayor said, and the shooter fled the scene. It was not immediately clear if the shooter was one of the men who was injured or either of the women involved in the altercation, but the mayor said it was one of the four.
No further details about the shooting suspect, including a description, have been released.
The mall expected to reopen Thursday for their holiday hours, Mengoni said.
Dozens of police cars could be seen in an otherwise empty parking lot outside an entrance to the mall that appeared to be under construction.
Police said there was no immediate danger to the community, and asked people to avoid the area while the investigation is underway.
