CHICAGO (WLS) — NBA star Victor Wembanyama has made a public appeal for assistance in locating a man who disappeared after being dropped off at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
Elijah Hoard was last seen when his father left him at the airport on Friday, as he was due to fly back to France. However, according to his family, Elijah never boarded the plane.
The 23-year-old had been visiting Chicago for ten days to spend time with his father. The final sighting of Elijah was a photo taken with his father, just before he was supposed to depart for France from O’Hare.
On Monday, Wembanyama took to Instagram to share an urgent message: “Our friend Elijah has been missing from Chicago O’Hare since February 27th. If you have any information, please reach out to local authorities.”
Elijah’s father, Antwon Hoard, confirmed that his son did not check in for his flight.
“As far as I know, Elijah was supposed to register his ticket and board the flight. For some reason, he never got on, his bags were not checked in, and he didn’t register. We believe he might still be somewhere at the airport, but unfortunately, that’s the last we have seen or heard from him,” Antwon explained.
Antwon Hoard said his son suffers from mental illness and was reluctant to return home to France after spending time in Chicago.
“Everything seemed pretty normal the first eight days, but the last two days his whole mood had swung, and he was really adamant about not going back home, and he didn’t want to go home,” Antwon Hoard said.
Chicago police have officially reported him missing and are now looking into surveillance cameras around O’Hare.
The father says Elijah’s phone has been off since Friday evening, and he doesn’t have much money to be on his own for more than a few days. The family is now hoping anyone around the airport may help find his son.
“Obviously when you have a missing child it’s all unsettling, but I’m not the type of guy that’s going to be nervous or overreact until we have more information,” Antwon Hoard said.
Elijah is about 6’3″ and 220 pounds, and he was last seen in a brown hoodie.
Anyone who may see him has been asked to call Chicago Police.
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