Share and Follow
CHICAGO—A man who went missing after being dropped off at O’Hare International Airport has been located safely and reunited with his family, the Chicago police confirmed on Tuesday night.
The Chicago Police Department has yet to release further information regarding the circumstances of how Elijah Hoard was located.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
NBA star Victor Wembanyama had taken to social media to appeal for help in finding Hoard. Hoard’s father had dropped him off at O’Hare on Friday for a flight back to France, but he never boarded the plane, according to family members.
Hoard, who is 23, had been in Chicago for a 10-day visit with his father. The last known sighting was captured in a photograph with his father at the airport, just before his scheduled departure for France.
On Monday, Wembanyama used his Instagram platform to raise awareness, posting, “Our friend Elijah has been missing from Chicago O’Hare since February 27th. If you have any information, please contact local authorities.”
Antwon Hoard said Elijah never checked in for his flight.
“To my knowledge he was going to just register his ticket and get on the flight. But for whatever reason he never took the flight; his bags weren’t registered, and he never checked in. So what we’re thinking is he could possibly be floating around the airport or something. But again, that’s the last we’ve seen of him,” Antwon Hoard said.
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.
The father said Elijah’s phone had been off since Friday evening, and he didn’t have much money to be on his own for more than a few days.
The video in the player above is from an earlier report.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.