Murder charges filed in Sound-Bar shooting

Armond Williams is charged with the March 8th shooting outside of Sound-Bar in River North. | CPD; File

A Villa Park man has been charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder in connection with a double shooting outside of Sound-Bar, the long-running nightclub at 226 West Ontario in River North.

Police today said 37-year-old Armond Williams was part of a group that was denied entry to the club shortly after midnight on March 8th. A fist fight broke out between the group and the club’s doorman, Thurman Bailey, when Williams pulled out a handgun and started shooting.

Bailey, 28, was pronounced dead about an hour later. Another man, identified by hospitality industry sources as Sound-Bar co-owner Mark Jurcyzk, 58, was injured by bullet fragments in his arm and leg.

Williams was identified through surveillance video footage of the incident. He is due in bond court today.

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson issued a summary closure order of Sound-Bar on March 12th. Since then, club owners have been working with city officials to develop a “Nuisance Abatement Plan” that would allow them to re-open the bar.

An initial hearing on the closure was held March 20th. A staff member for local Ald. Brendan O’Reilly (42) said in an email to constituents this week that negotiations were underway to create an operating plan and avoid a “contested hearing.”
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CWBChicago was created in 2013 by five residents of Wrigleyville and Boystown who had grown disheartened with inaccurate information that was being provided at local Community Policing (CAPS) meetings. Our coverage area has expanded since then to cover Lincoln Park, River North, The Loop, Uptown, and other North Side Areas. But our mission remains unchanged: To provide original public safety reporting with better context and greater detail than mainstream media outlets. Our editorial email address is news@cwbchicago.com