Lake in the Hills carnival: No arrests made, no reports of gunfire after fights shut down event

Police said there were no reports of gunfire or injuries when “multiple fights” broke out at a spring carnival Saturday evening, prompting organizers to shut it down. Authorities added that no arrests had been made as of Sunday evening, and no property damage reports had been made.

“Due to the size of the crowd the focus of the officers responding was safety of the attendees and crowd control and management. As the crowd was large and there were several groups of agitators, the safest thing to do was to disperse the crowd,” said Amanda Schmitt, public information officer for the Lake in the Hills Police Department. The police department did not have officers detailed to provide security during the event, but they responded to calls there as part of their patrol duties, she added.

Christina Alvino, who attended the carnival earlier Saturday with her young children, said there were “tons of teenagers” at the carnival and she had seen at least one fight break out earlier in the evening, causing her and another family to leave earlier than planned.

“We were on one of the rides and one of the dads we were with said, ‘It is time to go’ ” because of the fights occurring, Alvino said Sunday.

The Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce, which hosted the carnival, put out a statement Sunday confirming the carnival would not reopen Sunday afternoon as initially planned.

Lake in the Hills police, in a news release Sunday afternoon, wrote that they have “no information or evidence at this time to corroborate the social media statements alleging shots fired and/or stabbing(s) during this incident. As such, any social media statements regarding a shooting, shots fired, or stabbing as related to this incident is considered unfounded at this time.”

Alvino, who lives about 2 miles from the festival site, said a neighbor was shooting off fireworks, which may have been mistaken for gunfire, too.

“That could have been what they heard,” Alvino said.

Schmitt called unfounded reports of firearm involvement “social media rumors” adding “the spreading of misleading, inaccurate, unsubstantiated, or misinformation is not only harmful, it is irresponsible.”

Police encouraged people to to follow their social media accounts for most “factual and up-to-date information,” providing a list online at bit.ly/LITHPDSocials. “The police department strongly urges anyone to gather their information directly from legitimate sources only and in a crisis, to come right to the police department’s social media for the most current, up to date and accurate information,” Schmitt said.

Authorities said they were initially called to the scene of the carnival at Algonquin and Randall roads Saturday for reports of people “running across the road to and from the carnival.” Police contended with “multiple fights” going on in the carnival area but reported at just before 10 p.m. Saturday that they had “dispersed the unruly crowds.”

The Chamber had released a statement on Facebook on Saturday offering “our sincerest apologies” for the early shutdown and citing an “unexpected surge in attendance, fueled by the beautiful weather [that] unfortunately led to overcrowding.”

“Additionally, a significant number of unchaperoned teenagers, with intentions to disrupt and cause trouble, descended upon the Carnival and shopping centers in the area,” according to the Chamber statement.

“Regrettably, in the interest of safety, we chose to close the Carnival earlier than planned. We understand the disappointment this decision may have caused, especially to the children and families who were looking forward to a day of joy and fun,” according to the Chamber statement. “Please know that the safety and enjoyment of our community are always our top priorities, and we will take measures to ensure that future events are better equipped to handle unexpected circumstances.”

The site of the carnival was virtually empty Sunday morning except for a couple of workers who declined comment.

According to the Chamber statement on Sunday, the carnival “will not be permitted” to reopen Sunday.

“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,” according to the Chamber statement. “This decision was made with the utmost consideration for the well-being of our community members and attendees. We understand the disappointment this may bring, especially to those who were eagerly anticipating a day of fun and enjoyment.”

The Chamber again apologized to “to all those who had their visit cut short and to those who planned to attend the Carnival today and are unable to do so. We also extend our sympathy to the neighboring businesses affected by the disruptions caused by individuals with malicious intentions. Thankfully the disruptions and misconduct last night did not lead to any reported injuries or more serious incidents.”

No mention was made of refunds, although many commenters have raised that issue.

Alvino said that prior to the fights breaking out “our kids had a blast. ... They had a good time and I am glad we were able to do that. But there were so many teenagers there, something was bound to happen.” She saw no guns or knives, Alvino said, but believed teens from several different area high schools were there.

Anyone with information can submit it to Lake in the Hills police by texting TIP LITHPD to 888777. The public can also enroll in free Nixle alerts by texting LITH and the local ZIP code, 60156, to 888777.