Chicago O'Hare Airport Shooting Injures One After Late-Night Fight

A fight at Chicago O’Hare International Airport escalated into a shooting early Wednesday morning, leaving one man injured. The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. inside Terminal 2 and ended with gunfire outside the terminal. A bullet hole in one of the terminal's windows was captured on video, underscoring the tense and chaotic scene.

According to an airport worker, Mahmoud, who spoke to the Chicago Sun-Times, "They start fighting, regular fighting. After that, they [go] in the car, they bring the gun and then start shooting." It's hardly the kind of drama you'd expect to see at an airport—not exactly your typical baggage claim debacle!

The victim, a 25-year-old man, was shot twice in the lower body and is now in stable condition at a local hospital. Meanwhile, another man is being questioned by police as investigations continue. Law enforcement reportedly recovered several rifle rounds at the scene.

Retired police officer James Van Schaick, who witnessed the incident from a nearby hotel, described the chaos: "I heard what sounded like just a rapid fire, like automatic fire. I looked out of my window...and I saw people scattering in both directions." His account paints a harrowing picture of the moments following the gunfire.

By 5:15 a.m., the Chicago Department of Aviation confirmed that all lower-level arrival lanes at O’Hare had reopened and that airport operations had returned to normal. Terminal 2, used by airlines such as Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, and Spirit Airlines, was back in full swing just hours after the incident.

As of now, the motive behind the fight and subsequent shooting is unclear. Authorities are still piecing together how many individuals were involved and what exactly led to the altercation. Speculation aside, it's a stark reminder that even a bustling international airport isn’t immune to moments of violence.