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A video of a huge fight at the Chicago O'Hare Airport started doing the rounds on social media on May 24, 2023. About a dozen people were seen throwing punches, rolling on the floor, jumping on others, and pulling their hair at the baggage claim carousel inside the airport on Monday night.
As per bystanders and police officials, the scuffle was spurred by a verbal dispute between the passengers who were deplaning. Several people broke out in small groups and continued to fight amongst each other.
Chicago police said that shortly after 11 pm the travelers became violent in the lower level of Terminal 3. Following the wild brawl, the CPD arrested 18-year-old Christopher Hampton from Maywood and 20-year-old Tembra Hicks from Carol Stream for allegedly punching a 24-year-old woman. Both of them are currently facing one misdemeanor count of battery.
The video of the scuffle was shared by the 16th & 17th District Chicago Police Scanner on Twitter on May 23. One user, Alexander Lacherbauer, wondered how these airport fights only keep getting worse.
"Where are the cops?": Netizens react to Chicago O'Hare International Airport brawl
The chaotic video was shared on Twitter by many accounts and left viewers shocked and wondering what may have caused such a huge fight.
The passengers divided into several groups before they started fighting
In the video, it can be seen that one group jumped on the baggage claim carousel where they kicked and punched another group. The other groups were seen tussling on the floor.
One woman used her headphones as a weapon right before a man knocked her to the ground and punched her, which prompted the crowd to yell louder.
Multiple women who were involved in the physical altercation appeared to have lost their shoes while fighting but they still kept up with the brawl barefoot. Another woman was seen held on the ground by her hair by a redhead. Travel pillows and other belongings were strewn around the baggage claim area.
Two men were seen coming to blows and ending up on the carousel. One of them was being punched by the luggage belt, which caused his hat to fly off before he was kicked in the face by others who joined the melee.
A few people tried to separate the passengers engaged in the brawl as others shouted at them, telling them to stop. Some others yelled for security to break off the fight.
A statement was released by the Chicago Department of Aviation where they said:
"Safety and security are always the top priorities of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). We work closely with all of our federal partners present at O'Hare and Midway International Airports and the Chicago Police Department to ensure that everyone is safe when they are in our facilities. The CDA also ensures that its airline partners have clear lines of communication to public safety resources for occurrences within their leased areas."
Further information regarding the incident was not immediately available.
In February, a similar brawl erupted at Philadelphia International Airport after a mother and her daughter were charged extra traveling fees due to their heavy luggage. In a video, the mother-daughter duo was seen clawing and grabbing the gate agents at the entrance of the jetway.
