Video from a Taco Bell in the Loop shows a group of men apparently robbing another group during an alleged drug deal moments before one of the robbery victims accidentally shot two bystanders near the Chicago Theatre this weekend.
Detectives released the footage Wednesday evening to drum up leads that could lead them to the shooter.
In the video, a group of men enters the restaurant at 178 North Wabash after 4 p.m. They settle in. One man orders a drink from the counter.
Then, the other group arrives. A camera captures the apparent drug transaction going down near the front of the restaurant. Things then turn sour. Watch:
The second group closes in on the first and rifles through their pockets before leaving. A member of the first group, wearing a Philadelphia Phillies jacket, retreats into the restaurant and then appears to emerge with a gun in his hand as he runs south on Wabash.
Moments later, at 4:57 p.m., shots rang out.
A bullet passed through a 55-year-old man’s ear and lodged in his neck, CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said on Monday. That victim was on break from his job as a stagehand at the Chicago Theatre. Another bullet struck a 27-year-old man in his hand. Both victims were reportedly in good condition.
Deenihan said the shooting involved a group of robbery victims who opened fire on the people who robbed them. He did not mention that it was a drug deal rip-off. Reliable sources have provided that detail to CWBChicago.
You can contact Area Three detectives at 312-744-8263 if you have any information about the suspects. The case number JF-226715.
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