'Gangbangers' At La Grange Park TikTok Party?

LA GRANGE PARK, IL — A La Grange Park resident contends a recent TikTok party at a local park was full of "gangbangers." She says she wishes the police would "chase" drivers with tinted windows out of town.

During a La Grange Park Village Board meeting this month, resident Mary Rita Ryan spoke out on crime. She alleged the village was "losing control" and police were not visible at all.

On video: See La Grange Park resident Mary Rita Ryan speak about the recent TikTok party at Memorial Park.

She said a shooting occurred one day and the next was the big TikTok party without a permit. On TikTok is drone footage of the well-attended party July 17 at Memorial Park.

"Did you hear about that one, with all the gangbangers?" she said.

Village President James Discipio said they were not gangbangers.

"I don't know where you get that they're gangbangers," he said.

She asked whether Discipio saw the event.

He said he did, saying the participants appeared happy to be playing basketball.

Ryan said the event started in the afternoon and that it was still going on when she went to the nearby Jewel store around 8:30 p.m.

"People were nose to nose, face to face," Ryan said. "There were three police officers by Panera watching what was going on, waiting for the thing to explode," Ryan said. "They left that park a mess. There were plastic cups all over the place. Nobody ever cleaned it up."

She urged the police department to use meters to measure cars' tinted windows.

"We used to chase people out of this town who had tinted windows. We don't do that anymore. We don't stop them," she said. "I was coming home from work. I was at 26th and Riverside Drive. The Berwyn Police Department was there with their meter pulling people over as a safety check, checking the tint on the windows. A lot of the problem is the tinted windows on these cars. There is a lot of crime going on behind there."

Ryan said the police did a good job "chasing" the recent partygoers out of town, but could have controlled the situation better.

After public comment, Discipio again said the participants were not gangbangers and that the event "went over well."

"It was an event that happened on the go. We had everybody there. If it got out of hand, we had support," he said. "Things like that may happen. We just have to be prepared when they do. There is a permit process that didn't happen, OK, so we'll learn."

He added the police do not chase people out of town.

Also during public input, resident Jeremy Vitell said he was concerned with crime in La Grange. A 46-year resident, he said he had not seen crime as bad as it had been in the last couple of years.

"I have personally witnessed a gun shooting in Robinhood Park. I've heard about park shootings at Yena Park," he said. "I give 100 percent support to the police department. I actually think we need more police officers and to patrol our village a little bit better."

He said he was seeing more gang graffiti around town.

Discipio also responded to Vitell afterward. He said he would not tolerate the disrespect that he said Vitell showed to village employees, accusing the resident of using the F-word repeatedly.

"The problem is, Jeremy, you inflame situations," Discipio said.

At the same time, he said he understood the public's concern about crime.

"We don't have police at every park sitting there watching every day," Discipio said. "This is a neighborhood. If there is activity you're uncomfortable with, call the police department and say, 'Hey, can you drive by and take a look?'"