A man was shot early Wednesday morning outside O’Hare International Airport after a fight broke out near Terminal 2, according to Chicago police.
The shooting happened around 12:54 a.m. after a group of men got into an argument near a baggage carousel inside the terminal. The altercation quickly spilled outside, where one man reportedly retrieved a gun from a car and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
A 25-year-old man was hit twice in the lower body and taken to Lutheran General Hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
The shooting left dozens of shell casings scattered across the arrivals area, forcing authorities to shut it down for several hours as they investigated.
A video shared widely on social media captured the terrifying moments before gunfire erupted, showing travelers in a frenzy as chaos unfolded.
One passenger, Raquel Barajas, said she was asleep nearby when a bullet shattered a window just feet from where she was resting.
“I have no clue how I did not hear this, and when I woke up I saw all the cops,” Barajas said. “I was terrified. Honestly, these earplugs saved my life. Getting up would have made me more scared and put me in a worse scenario. I’m just really grateful to be alive right now.”
Another witness, James Van Schaick, was staying at a nearby hotel when the gunfire erupted.
“I heard a bunch of rapid fire, and I opened up my curtain. I saw people scattering. Then I heard a bunch of individual pops… maybe half a dozen to a dozen,” he recalled.
Travelers arriving at O’Hare later in the morning were stunned to hear about the shooting. Chicago natives John and Rose Sullivan, who had just returned from a trip to Arkansas, said they were shocked but not entirely surprised by the violence.
No other injuries were reported. Police are questioning a second person as Area Five detectives continue to investigate. Authorities have not yet released details on what led to the fight.