Mall Group That Owns Chicago-Area Malls Targeted in Terror Threat

Three suburban malls could be the target of recent terrorist threats made by a group that has ties to al Qaeda.

The Somalia-based terror group al Shabab released a video online Saturday calling for attacks on shopping malls in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada, including the chain of malls owned by the Westfield Group. The video specifically targetted the Mall of America in Minnesota and two Westfield malls in England, but the group also mentioned targeting any Westfield mall at the end of the video.

There are three malls in the Chicago area owned by the Westfield Group: Fox Valley in Aurora, Hawthorn in Vernon Hills and Old Orchard in Skokie.

In an interview on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson said the public should be vigilant.

"I think there needs to be an awareness. There needs to be vigilance. And be careful,"Johnson said.

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