Prosecutors told a Cook County judge on Sunday that a ride-share driver and a Chicago passenger fought in a South Loop movie theater over a fare dispute on Saturday night.
At least seven shots were fired inside the popular ShowPlace ICON, but nobody was injured.
Chicago theater shooter charged in a court hearing
Babacar Mbengue, 35, of the Oakland neighborhood on the city’s South Side, is accused of discharging a firearm negligently at the theater. According to police and court records, a 16-year-old was charged as a juvenile with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by someone under 21.
During a bail hearing broadcast on YouTube, prosecutors told Judge Maryam Ahmad that as many as 700 people were inside the theater at the time of the shooting.
Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt told the court that the incident began when Mbengue dropped off the teen and two female companions at the theater after the teen promised to pay him cash for a second ride there.
When they arrived, the teen and his companions got out without paying, followed by the teen’s friends. Dale-Schmidt reported that Mbengue followed the group into the theater and fought with the teen.
Theater shooting lacks surveillance footage
Dale-Schmidt reported that Mbengue then picked up the weapon and fired multiple rounds into the theater’s floor as chaos ensued. Mbengue and the teen were apprehended by two security officers who witnessed the altercation.
Dale-Schmidt stated that the shooting was not captured by the theater’s video surveillance system.
The court-appointed attorney for Mbengue stated that his client was a married man expecting his first child with no criminal record and that his client was the victim of a crime that led to the shooting.
In ordering Mbengue to be held on $35,000 bail, the judge stated, The court must weigh this for the sake of public safety, as the lack of judgment, in this case, is so concerning. Ahmad did request an upcoming hearing to determine if Mbengue’s bail could be reduced.
The teen’s court records, whose name was withheld due to his age, were not easily accessible. Mbengue is scheduled to return to court the following week.
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