This story was updated at 9:25 p.m. to include information from a friend of the deceased person.
Chicago police are conducting a death investigation after a person was found unresponsive in a Lakeview nightclub early Saturday.
Officers and EMS responded to Berlin, 954 West Belmont, just after the bar’s 4 a.m. closing time after a 911 caller reported that their friend was passed out in the restroom.
The 27-year-old was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead, according to Chicago police. The medical examiner’s office listed their time of death as 4:42 a.m.
An autopsy was conducted Sunday, but the results are pending the results of further tests, according to the medical examiner’s office.
A close friend said the person was non-binary.
“They have adamantly refused all party drugs from anyone who has offered,” the friend said in an email.
They were “adamantly against party drugs,” the friend reiterated. “They only had two drinks and drank water all night.”
Berlin management said on Twitter that the club would close Saturday night. Here is the club’s full statement:
Berlin Nightclub is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own last night. Our thoughts go out to this beautiful person’s family and friends as they grapple with the untimely loss of this young life.
Out of respect for this life lost, we will be holding a night of closure this evening. We want to thank the first responders, friends, and staff for their unwavering dedication and support.
Please keep an eye on our page for mutual aid support in the coming days. We love you so much.
With All Of Our Love,
Ren, Lucy, Jim, & Jo
While the cause of the person’s death has yet to be determined, officials have been stepping up efforts to warn the public about the spread of fentanyl, an extremely potent and deadly opioid, in counterfeit pills and street drugs.
On August 18, a passerby found two men and a woman, all in their early 20s, unresponsive in an alley on the 800 block of West Belmont. The men died at the scene, but EMS workers saved the woman by administering NARCAN, a drug that can reverse the effects of opioids.
According to medical examiner records, autopsy results for the two men are still pending.
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