Banging Pots Sparked Chicago Ridge Mall Shooting Scare, Police Say

The gunshot-like sounds Saturday night in the Chicago Ridge Mall were actually the clanging of metal pots in the food court, according to Chicago Ridge police.

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Investigators interviewed merchants in the food court, and they believe there were no gunshots at all, just a merchant banging together metal pots to drive away a crowd.

Police say there were no arrests or injuries, and the Chicago Ridge Mall has reopened.

The Chicago Tribune reported the pot-banging occurred at the Sarku Japan restaurant, where an employee had banged pots or lids three times. However, the manager of Sarku Japan told the Tribune that the sound came from a metal lid that fell as employees were cleaning.