Parents are sharing their experiences at a far north suburban spring carnival that was canceled over the weekend after multiple reported fights broke out amongst the crowds at the event. NBC Chicago’s Kate Chappell reports.
Parents are sharing their experiences at a far north suburban spring carnival that was canceled over the weekend after multiple reported fights broke out amongst the crowds at the event.
"I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared for my kids and myself," said parent, Monique, who asked NBC 5 to only use her first name.
Monique was at the Lake in the Hills Spring carnival Saturday afternoon with her two young children. She was atop a fun house when she snapped a photo of what she describes as excessively large crowds.
"It was very crowded. More crowded than usual, and I’ve been in this area my whole life, so I’ve been to all these fests," she said.
Another parent says her son called her to pick him up less than 30 minutes after he got there.
"He sounded frantic," said Robyn Larson. "He said when he first walked in, it was so crowded. He got a bad feeling instantly."
In a Snapchat video, one parent captured the moment a fight broke out on festival grounds.
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Amid the skirmishes, officials made the decision to close the carnival down early on Saturday, with safety officials opting not to allow the event to resume on Sunday.
In a Facebook post, the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce said the decision was made in conjunction with safety officials.
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“After careful consultation with the Village of Lake in the Hills and our Chief of Police, it has been decided that reopening the carnival would not be in the best interest of public safety,” officials said. “This decision was made with the utmost consideration for the well-being of our community members and attendees.”
A similar incident happened at a carnival in Tinley Park last summer, prompting officials to make safety changes.
Authorities canceled the final day of the Armed Forces Weekend Carnival near the 80th Avenue train station after reports of a “flash mob” that saw more than 400 teens gather.
Several citations were issued, and a police officer was also injured.
"We learned something out of it. We prepared for our Ribfest in the coming months, and we had absolutely no problems with that," said Pat Carr, the Tinley Park village manager.
Officials believe the disruptions were planned on social media in advance and have since collaborated with state partners on security intelligence.
They also use metal detectors at festival entry points and have increased security on site.
"We have the manpower, and at the end of the day, if somebody wants to come and disrupt something, we’re going to arrest them," said Carr.
The Armed Forces Weekend Carnival was not issued a permit for 2024.
Heading into the busy summer festival season, some parents are still concerned about safety and say they'll think twice about attending large, public events in the future.
"Over the years, these events have gotten so big, and obviously [there's] cost, and violence," said Larson. "Unfortunately you can’t really say you’re safe anywhere nowadays."
"I was already nervous about going to these events," added Monique. "Now, being that close to something that could have escalated into something worse is even more scary to think about going to these events." '
Lake in the Hills police issued the following statement to NBC Chicago:
On Saturday, April 27 the Algonquin/ Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce hosted a carnival in the parking lot of 100 block of N. Randall Road, Lake in the Hills. This same carnival was hosted last year and throughout the years other groups have had carnivals in that space. In prior years, this event has been enjoyed by the area families and residents. It has been peaceful and never has it been overwhelmed by large groups, especially by individuals with any ill intent.
Unfortunately, on Saturday, the carnival was visited by and quickly overwhelmed with large groups of teens that inevitably caused a variety of problems for the carnival attendees, local residents, and businesses.
The Village has a robust special events planning process, hosting two high profile festivals each year which draw thousands without incident. The carnival was not considered a special event and did not have additional officers detailed to the event. There are a variety of factors that went into that particular decision such as the event was on private property, the event does not sell alcohol, and historically this event does not see high attendance levels.
However, in light of the events from Saturday and in recognizing society is rapidly changing around us, the police department will be reevaluating all events held in the Village and making relevant changes to reflect the needs and safety of the community. The department is hopeful residents, community members and event attendees will be supportive of changes as they come at future events.
On Saturday, Lake in the Hills responding police officers, as well as officers from outside jurisdictions, did an incredible job in crowd separation and being sure no one was hurt. When responding to a situation such as this officers have a great deal of considerations, such as the safety of the attendees and being cognizant to also not turn an already agitated crowd into a mob. Dispersing a crowd is often the safest way to get the agitators separated and restore peace, however that can take some time when the crowds are as large as they were that night.
It is the goal of the department to provide quality police service to our community and to evolve with the needs of the community. The police department looks forward to the opportunity to do so and to give the community the best police service possible.
