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Chicago Ridge Mall Reopens After Disturbance

(CBS/STMW) -- Chicago Ridge Mall will reopen Sunday after it closed Saturday due to a disturbance.

The closing started when several mall workers reported hearing three gunshots and seeing large numbers of young shoppers running. Chicago Ridge police determined no shots were fired an the noise was caused by a merchant loudly banging a large pot.

About 7 p.m., police officers responding to the disturbance asked workers to stay inside their stores at the mall, located at 444 Chicago Ridge Mall, according to Aldo manager Raquel Regalado. Police told Regalado police were looking for a person with a gun inside the mall. Regalado said the workers at her store were still inside their store at 7:38 p.m.

He said the mall was "jam packed" when the disturbance happened.

The chief did not report any arrests or injuries, the mayor said.

Workers at the mall gave disputed accounts of what happened. Some said they heard what they thought were shots fired inside the mall's food court, but others disputed that.

"There was a rampage," said Sbarro supervisor Crystal Escobedo, 27, who said she heard gunfire.

"We ran in the back room," Escobedo said. "It's kind of scary but I'm OK now."

She said the incident occurred about 6:40 p.m. as a large crowd of teenagers gathered in the food court.

"They were making a lot of noise back and forth," she said.

Police then told her to shut down for the night.

A manager at a burger joint in the food court also said she heard three pops.

"They were trying to get everybody out of the food court area," she said, declining to give her name.

A worker at Mrs. Fields, who also declined to give her name, said she saw about a hundred kids running around and "causing a riot" at the food court.

The mall will operate normal business hours Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

 

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