Mindless Behavior meet & greet leads to Ford City Mall evacuation
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By Tisha Lewis, FOX 32 News reporter - bio | email
CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
What started as an autograph signing with chart topping boy band Mindless Behavior quickly turned into a full out brawl at Ford City Mall. That outburst spread to the mall's parking lot and nearby stores. There were reports of looting and we are told teens threw snowballs at police responding to the scene.
Moments after a fight broke out inside Ford City Mall on the Southwest side, hundreds of teens are seen jumping on cars and running in different directions.
The chaos happened after an autograph signing by boy group Mindless Behavior who posted about their Chicago appearance on Twitter.
Fox 32 News has learned two people were injured in the mayhem, including a child and a CTA bus driver.
"It was just reckless. We were out here fighting, you feel me... we were out here for JoJo we were out here fighting… I don't know... I wasn't fighting. I was just down here for the entertainment," said Cameron Moore.
One witness said, "They busted out a lady's mirror in the back of her car, knocked mirrors out, they were throwing snow at the police, anything you could think of they were doing that."
"Robert" shot this video from his cell phone. He tells Fox 32 News the police were no match for about seven hundred teens who came to the mall's food court for Mindless Behavior's promotion of their new release All Around the World.
"The police tried to do what they try to do but it was just too many kids," said the witness.
Chicago police say 20 people were arrested in the aftermath and there could be more arrests. It remains a mystery what sparked the fight that prompted the mass melee.
"All the teenagers were trying to get inside the mall but I don't know how many was in the mall," said Latoya Ligon.
"There was a lot of fighting going on inside the mall and they wouldn't let nobody else in," said Charles Morgan.
Fox 32 News was there as teens boarded CTA buses and left the premises under police escort with a police helicopter hovering above. The disturbance prompted street closures and gridlock near the mall.
The injured adult was taken to Holy Cross Hospital. A child was also injured and rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center. FOX 32 News has learned both suffered minor injuries.
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