Hair-Raising Scene Empties Mall Salon

A man who fired several shots into the ceiling of a shopping mall beauty salon and took a woman employee hostage surrendered to police Friday night after a seven-hour standoff.

No one was hurt. Police said the gunman apparently was the former boyfriend of a hairdresser at the Mario Tricoci Hair Salon and Day Spa in this northern suburb of Chicago. She was taken to a hospital for a psychological examination, police said.

“All of a sudden, just maybe 100 people came running around the corner,” said Jeanne Deininger, who watched from a nearby shoe store. “They had no coats on, just black smocks, foil in their hair.”

Moments later, police came running from the opposite direction toward the two-story salon with their guns drawn, she said.

After meeting face-to-face with a negotiator, the man surrendered. Police believed the gunman was armed with a 9 mm handgun.