Rosemont Police Sergeant. Joe Balogh spoke to the Chicago Tribune Saturday. Although police did not reveal the motive, they said that it was a targeted attack.
He said that the gunman fled in a car along with “other unknown subjects.”
Balogh stated that police pulled the vehicle over on an expressway in Chicago more than two hours later after the shooting. He said that the car’s owner was taken into police custody and being interrogated as a person-of-interest. Although a gun was taken as evidence, no charges were filed.
Joel Valdes (20), of Skokie was identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s Office.
Balogh stated that a 15-year-old girl was stable after being shot in the wrist.
Officials had earlier stated that another person was injured and fled, but Balogh claimed that no other victims were known as of Saturday afternoon.
The mall was searched by authorities after the shooting.
Luis Elijio stated that he was shopping with his family, which included his 5-month-old daughter. A woman opened the store’s door and shouted, “They are shooting!” Elijio explained that an employee locked the doors, and the people inside fled to the back.
“And right afterwards I heard what sounded as an automatic weapon,” he stated while recovering with his family at the Crowne Plaza hotel.
