CHICAGO — A fast food cashier had little or no contact with two men he shot to death in the restaurant’s dining room Monday night, prosecutors said as they filed charges in the case.
Mehdi Medellel, 42, was detained on two counts of first-degree murder by Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman on Wednesday.
In a written proffer provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, veteran prosecutor Anne McCord Rodgers said the cook at JJ Fish & Chicken, 7828 South Western Avenue, saw Medellel handling a gun in the kitchen area about 20 minutes before the shootings.
At about 10:14 p.m., a 57-year-old man walked into the restaurant and began to show Medellel some items that he had inside a bag and a suitcase, according to Rodgers. After momentarily stepping into the kitchen area, Medellel allegedly locked the rear exit and entered the dining room with a firearm extended in front of him.
Upon seeing the gun, the man with the suitcase raised his hands and backed away. Medellel followed him and fired a single shot that struck the man in the head, according to Rodgers.
Medellel then moved to a 56-year-old man who was seated at a table in the dining room and shot him in the head, too. According to Rodgers, Medellel had no interactions with the second victim before the murder.
Upon hearing the gunshots, the cook ran out the back door and called 911. Medellel allegedly fled the scene, but Chicago police officers arrested him nearby a short time later. He led police to a dumpster, where officers found a firearm believed to be the murder weapon.
