Three people were wounded Tuesday morning when a shoplifter opened fire on a security guard inside a Jewel-Osco in the Bronzeville neighborhood, Chicago police said.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting at the grocery store, 443 East 34th Street, around 10:52 a.m. Police said two men entered the store, took merchandise, and tried to leave without paying. When a 46-year-old security guard intervened, one of the men pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking the guard and two bystanders.
Witnesses said customers and employees scrambled for cover as the shooting began. Some took shelter in back rooms and even inside a walk-in freezer. Two people suffered minor injuries from falls while trying to get to safety, according to an officer at the scene.
The gunman and his accomplice fled before officers arrived. Responding officers rendered aid to the wounded security guard, who had been shot in the leg, arm, and hand. They applied tourniquets to control his bleeding until paramedics took him to a hospital in serious condition.
A 39-year-old woman, shot in the foot, was taken to a hospital in good condition. Meanwhile, a 67-year-old woman who sustained a graze wound declined medical treatment.
Officers were searching the area for a suspect, described as Black, about 19 years old, with a mustache and beard. He was last seen wearing a gray Mooseknuckle puffy jacket, ripped jeans, and black and silver gym shoes.
As of Tuesday afternoon, no arrests had been announced.
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