What Happened?
According to CBS Chicago, police responded to a 911 call reporting shots fired at the mall.
Chicago Police found two victims in the food court in critical condition. Both were taken to nearby hospitals where one of the victims, 20-year-old Joey Valdes was pronounced dead.
Chicago Tribune reports that the gunman, estimated to be in his mid-20s, entered the Fashion Outlets of the mall with a mask covering his face and fired at Valdes around 7:08 p.m. Valdes was found on the ground on the first floor near the food court, and a 15-year-old girl was found in a nearby restroom. She had been shot in the wrist and grazed in the leg.
CBS says the gunman fled the scene with others in a Maroon 2008 Honda which was later found outside of town with the owner of the car. The owner is being considered a person of interest, but no other persons have been identified.
Multiple sources report that police are treating the shooting as an “isolated incident.”
In Context
According to World Population Review, Chicago is ranked with the 20th highest violent crime rate in the United States.
Chicago Sun-Times reports that there were 39 mass shootings in Chicago last year which resulted in 214 injuries and 24 fatalities.
The Latest
According to Chicago Tribune, the 15-year-old girl who was found in the hospital has stabilized.
NBC Chicago reports that police say a third person may have been injured and fled the crime scene. This detail, however, is still unclear.
Chicago Sun-Times says that officers worked to clear the mall, where police say they found a firearm that is being processed as evidence. The mall reopened at noon the following day.
