Woodfield Driver Taken to Behavioral Health Clinic: Police

SCHAUMBURG, IL — Woodfield Mall reopened over the weekend as police continue to investigate a strange and chaotic incident involving an SUV that crashed through and then drove through the mall, sending frightened patrons running and causing damage to interior stores and kiosks. Authorities have taken a 22-year-old man, who has a last known address listed in Palatine, into custody in connection with the incident, and are investigating his motive behind the incident.

On Saturday, the man, who had not yet been identified, was transported to AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute for treatment, according to a news release from the Schaumburg Police Department.

"The duration of his treatment is unknown and no charges will be authorized until his release," authorities said.

Three people inside the mall were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries that were not considered life-threatening following Friday's incident and were not a result of being hit by the SUV and four others were treated at the scene, police said.

Those who were inside the mall at the time described an extremely chaotic situation, with some thinking the sound of glass shattering was gunshots. They also said the situation could've been much worse as there were many near misses, including times when the SUV came very close to striking children at the mall, according to media reports.

Police started fielding multiple 911 calls regarding a black SUV-style vehicle that drove through a mall entrance near Sears and Rainforest Cafe at 2:21 p.m., according to a statement from the Schamburg Police Department. The SUV then drove through the mall common area before coming to a stop in the mall center court. Witnesses told media outlets that along its way, the SUV collided with the last car of a kid's train, but no one was on that train at the time. The vehicle also nearly hit a group of children near Rainforest Cafe, authorities said.

Ultimately, the train's driver, two off-duty police officers and other bystanders were able to help detain the driver until police arrived. Witnesses told NBC Chicago the train's driver in particular jumped into action to help keep the kids on his train and others in the mall safe from injury.

"He saved all the kids. How so? He saw the car coming. He took all the kids out and took them to safety... He's the real hero," a witness to the incident, Liz Baker, told NBC 5 Chicago. Others said the train driver, Juan, was also telling everyone to get out of the way.

Police took the 22-year-old man into custody without incident. He was treated at the scene. No information was immediately available regarding any charges filed against the man.

Ronin Diedenhofen, of Bartlett, told the Daily Herald he witnessed the arrest and described the driver as being "out of it."

"He had a thousand-yard stare. I don't know if he was just on drugs or a disgruntled employee, but there was something wrong with him," he told the newspaper.

Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf said the man may have a medical issue, according to the article.

Authorities assured residents that the incident does not appear to have been an act of terrorism or a pre-meditated attack. Schaumburg Police Chief Bill Wolf told reporters late Friday night the man went into the mall before he got into his vehicle but there is no reason to believe the mall was targeted, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Wolf said the mall had been inspected and there is no structural damage, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The mall was set to reopen Saturday at 10 a.m., according to a post on the Woodfield Mall Facebook page.

Mall officials worked Friday amidst the chaos to evacuate Woodfield and then closed Friday evening — all while authorities announced the situation had been contained. The name of the driver has not yet been released.

"There is no threat to public safety," according to a post on the FBI Chicago Twitter page Friday afternoon.

Several stores and kiosks were damaged as the vehicle drove through the mall, according to media reports. Witnesses reportedly said the SUV crashed into a pillar.

Several people inside the mall captured the scary situation on video and posted the videos, and photos of the chaos, on social media.

"This is not happening right now," one person can be heard shouting in the background.

"Oh my God," he added.

Warning: The video also contains explicit language.

Bob Thomas, an executive at the Chicago Tribune, was heading to the Apple store at the mall to have his phone fixed when he heard an announcement over the loadspeaker, reporting there had been an incident at the mall, according to the Chicago Tribune's report. Mall officials asked people to leave the mall. But Thomas didn't hear any alarms and didn't see any security staff and kept walking, thinking that the announcement could've been a false alarm.

He soon learned otherwise.

"I got to the center of the mall, I saw this car. It's a black SUV crashed against a pillar in front of Clark's shoe store. The front tire was flat. Two firemen were walking around it."

He told the newspaper that a tact team came in with assault rifles and began yelling, "Get out, get out, get out of the mall."

This story is developing. Check back for updates.