A 17-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening leg injuries, police said. A third person suffered a shoulder injury and refused to go to the hospital, they said.
“The shooting this afternoon was not a random act and appeared to be a targeted incident that occurred outside of the park. It was not an active shooter incident inside the park,” Gurney Police said.
Both Gurnee police and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office were handling the scene Sunday night, said park communications specialist Rachel Kenziora.
The park closed early in response to the shooting, Kenziora said. The Northern Illinois Police Alarm System was assisting in clearing the theme park of guests and staff, Gurney police said.
Gurnee is about an hour’s drive north of Chicago.
Michael Pontrelli and his family were at the park when the shooting occurred. He told CNN that he had just gotten off the Superman ride when he saw groups of people running away from the entrance.
“Then (we saw) a swarm of parents carrying their children, so my family and I hid between those two walls waiting for permission,” he said. “The cops were running around armed and escorting everyone out.”
A video recorded by Pontrelli shows a heavy police presence outside the park.
In a statement, Kendziora said the park is grateful for the team members who worked to care for guests and the Gurnee Police Department for their continued security presence at the park.
“Six Flags devotes our greatest time, talent and resources to safety and security,” the statement said. “There are layers of precautions both inside and outside the park to protect guests and team members. We continue to review and improve our protocol on a daily basis to ensure we are providing the highest level of security.”
