Update: The Waukegan Police on Friday said they were ending their search efforts. Our latest story is here. Our original story continues below.
The search for a missing 21-year-old United States Navy servicemember who was last seen leaving a bar in suburban Waukegan over the weekend is set to resume at 9 a.m. Friday after efforts were paused Thursday afternoon.
According to authorities, Séamus Gray, who is stationed at the Naval Station Great Lakes, was last seen around 1:35 a.m. Saturday leaving Ibiza Nightclub, located at 17 N. Genesee Street in Waukegan, about 40 miles north of Chicago.
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Gray's disappearance was first noted when he didn't report back to the Naval Station Great Lakes base at his scheduled 2 a.m. time Saturday, officials said.
However, it wasn't until Tuesday that both Gray's' mother and the Waukegan police say they were notified by the Navy of his disappearance.
"It wasn't until some days later that they had some information that they uncovered that determined that he was in fact in Waukegan the early morning hours of [March 18]," Waukegan Deputy Chief Brian Mullen said during an update Thursday.
Local
Once Waukegan police did learn of Gray's disappearance, Mullen said they "jumped into action almost immediately" and began a search of areas where he was last seen.
According to officials, the search, which begin Wednesday but was paused Thursday afternoon, is set to continue Friday at 9 a.m.
Here's a breakdown of what we know right now about Gray's disappearance.
What Surveillance Video From The Nightclub, Lakefront Shows
Recently released security footage from outside Ibiza nightclub shows Gray just before 2 a.m. standing and talking to a group of people. At one point in the video, Gray is seen on the ground. At another point, someone in the group appears to grab the wallet from Gray's pocket, but then throws it back at him.
Later in the video, Gray is seen taking off down a nearby alley.
In a press conference Wednesday, Ibiza manager Adrian Hernandez said Gray entered the nightclub twice early Saturday morning, but was ultimately escorted out for being too intoxicated.
Hernandez added that Grey got into at least two altercations outside the bar.
"It's just a sad situation for us," Hernandez said. "We just want him to be found ... we just want to cooperate in any way we can. We're doing everything we can to cooperate with the police investigation with the family."
During Thursday's update, Mullen said detectives spoke to some individuals who were with Gray that night. However, they reported they did not see him or hear from him after he left the bar.
Also on Thursday, authorities said they had obtained additional surveillance video showing Gray at the lakefront the night he went missing.
"We received some more video down here at the lakefront from some of the businesses at the marinas that were showing Séamus right on the water's edge," Mullen said. "And so we focused our efforts searching the water again today."
Mullen said Gray's phone has not shown any activity since his disappearance.
"At this point, we're just continuing to search for Séamus," he said. "We know he's in excellent shape, and we're very hopeful that maybe he could be out there someplace."
'Please Come Forward'
Gray's mother, Kerry Rodier Gray, stood alongside the Waukegan Police Department during a press conference Thursday morning, pleading for the community to help find her son.
"There are three things my son lives for. He lives for his family, God and his country. He came here to fight for his country, and now he's missing," she said, asking that anyone with information about Séamus to "please come forward."
During the press conference, Rodier Gray, who lives in Florida, indicated that she speaks to her son "no less than 10 times a day," through texting, talking, pictures, Facetime or memes.
According to authorities, Rodier Gray was notified on Tuesday by the Navy that her son had been missing.
The Search
According to Waukegan officials, police and fire crews, along with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, on Wednesday night began an "extensive search of the area" Gray was last seen, as well as the surrounding areas, including the Lakefront. Search efforts resumed at 9 a.m. Thursday at Washington Street, between the train tracks and the Waukegan Harbor and Marina.
"I'm here, I'm going through dumpsters looking for my son," Rodier Gray said Thursday.
However, just before 3 p.m., search efforts, which had taken place on both land and water, were halted after Mullen said resources were "exhausted."
"As we recover more and more video, it changes the scope of the search," Mullen added.
The search is expected to resume at 9 a.m. Friday morning close in areas of North Chicago, leading to the Naval Base. According to officials, the Navy is scheduled to join the efforts.
Gray was last seen wearing a pink long-sleeved shirt and pants. According to authorities, Gray is described as a white male, standing 6-feet-3 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He has multiple tattoos on his left arm, and a script tattoo on his ribcage.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to call Waukegan police at 847-360-9001, or by texting the word WPDTIP to 847411.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously on the Waukegan Police Department’s website.
