Man In Custody After SUV Plows Through Chicago Mall

One person is in custody after an SUV plowed into the Sears at Woodfield Mall in Schuamburg and then drove through the shopping mall on Friday afternoon, police said.

So this just happened at Woodfield. I’m safe. Jesus Christ pic.twitter.com/fOfhtPkWvr

— ronin (@nipsfalloff) September 20, 2019

Witnesses said the dark-colored SUV initially drove into the entrance to Sears shortly before 2:30 p.m., then continued on through the store and into the mall where it careened down the center aisle, smashing into storefronts and kiosks.

Schaumburg police said no major injuries have been reported, only minor injuries.

#BREAKING: A man behind the wheel of a black SUV drove through Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg Friday afternoon.

He drove through Sears & damaged several other stores including Forever 21 & Hollister.

Driver in police custody.@cbschicago

Photo Courtesy: Nik Farooqui pic.twitter.com/L5GoDk7WHH

— Eric Cox (@EricCoxTV) September 20, 2019

As ABC7 reports, Anthony Uchick was shopping with his mother at the Sears in Schaumburg’s Woodfield Mall Friday when he said a car crashed through the storefront and proceeded to drive through the shopping center. Uchick said the vehicle exited Sears near the Rainforest Cafe, almost striking children nearby. The car then crashed into Forever 21 which according to some he was targeting (perhaps the driver shared Ariana Grande’s disdain for the bankrupt retailer) before driving down toward Macy’s, where the driver was taken into custody, he said.

Lateef Farooqui was sitting in the second floor food court at the time, and said he saw car parts scattered through first floor’s center aisle, but wasn’t sure if the car was targeting any store in particular.

“Yeah, it was like a pinball going right to left,” he said. “I don’t know if it was like an anger issue going after Forever 21, but that one was the most obvious one he went through. And then he backed out of there and then moved to the complete opposite side.”

The car drove into woodfield through sears right passed my mom! Sooo scary! pic.twitter.com/bwm85RRr6T

— Nicole Doyle (@Nikkidoylee) September 20, 2019

The driver was taken into custody in a tea shop in the mall.

“They brought him into my store and apprehended him in the store,” said Robert Fakhouri, employee. “I’m not sure if it’s because of the space inside and they had room and they were able to sit him down, or what happened.

Fakhouri described the driver as a younger man, possibly in his 20s, and said he was quiet and did not resist police during the arrest. He said the man answered the officers’ questions with yes or no answers, and did tell officers he was alone.

He said the man appeared coherent, and displayed no remorse or emotion. He did not offer any explanation for what he allegedly did.

The FBI is assisting in the investigation at the request of local law enforcement, but said there is no known threat to public safety at this time.