Taco Bell video shows robbery unfolding moments before double-shooting in the Loop

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.

A still image from footage released by Chicago police shows a group of men inside a Loop Taco Bell restaurant moments before the alleged drug deal went sideways. | CPD

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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