Witnesses say "mass chaos" erupted at a Naperville park over the weekend when an active shooter drill was conducted, but many weren’t aware it was only a drill.
Hundreds of people had gathered at Naperville’s Riverwalk Grand Pavilion for a walk to benefit cystic fibrosis when witnesses said a man suddenly came running through the park shouting there was an active shooter.
"All of a sudden a man ran through the grassy area screaming active shooter,"said Mary Donovan, who was at the walk with her children. "He was waving his arms."
Donovan, who is nursing a broken foot, said she immediately tried to locate her children and run.
"I tried to grab my son to keep him with and I looked back and everyone was running and it was mass chaos and mass hysteria," she said. "My older son and his friends ran."
Minutes later, the group learned the incident was a drill put on by the park.
The head of the park district said notifications to area groups about the drill did not go out and noted changes are being considered.
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Ray McGury with Naperville Parks said the district is considering discontinuing outdoor training, but said if another outdoor drill is conducted the district will not use a PA system and a starter pistol.
"We will simply work through 'what if' scenarios with the staff," he said in a statement, adding that such drills are often conducted indoors.
Naperville’s police chief said he’s also looking into whether his department participated in the drill.
Donovan said those participating in the walk could not hear the announcements being made and were not notified ahead of time.
"It was very scary. The way they handled this drill was reckless and it was incredibly scary and traumatizing for everyone," she said. "There were hundreds of people crying- hundreds of people were upset."
The training Saturday was done with 100 high school and college students, McGury said, noting it was the "only date" the group could gather due to school schedules.
No one was injured during the drill, officials said.
"You just don’t do a drill in a situation like this on a Saturday morning," Donovan said. "In a public walk with patients – it’s unsafe."
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which the event was fundraising for, released a statement Monday saying it was grateful for the volunteers that helped "maintain the safety of individuals attending the event."
"First and foremost, we are thankful that everyone who attended the walk is physically safe," the foundation said. "We share the community’s disappointment that this incident disrupted Great Strides and caused distress during a cherished annual tradition to raise funds and awareness for cystic fibrosis, celebrate loved ones who are fighting CF, and honor individuals who have passed."
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation said it is in touch with the Naperville Park District to determine why the plans for the drill were not communicated in advance.
