Man charged with shooting, killing 2 men inside fast-food restaurant on Chicago's Southwest Side

CHICAGO (CBS) — Two people were shot and killed inside a restaurant on the city's Southwest Side Monday night—and a man was facing charges less than 24 hours later.

Mehdi Medellel, 42, of South Shore, was charged with two felony counts of first-degree murder. Police said he was arrested just before 11 p.m. Monday in the 1700 block of West 79th Street. Police did not identify Medellel as an employee of the JJ Fish & Chicken location at 7828 S. Western Ave. where the shooting happened, but earlier said it was an employee who shot and killed the two men.

Around 10:30 p.m., police said two men were arguing with an employee inside the Western Avenue JJ Fish & Chicken when the employee pulled out a gun and fired shots. 

A 55-year-old man was shot in the face, and a 56-year-old man was shot in the head. Both men were pronounced dead on the scene. 

Hours later, the light was still on at the JJ Fish location, but the door was locked. No one from the restaurant was available to speak to CBS News Chicago.

"It's a sad statement for the city, a sad statement for the community, a sad statement for all of us in a sense—two people lose their lives to gun violence at once," said Street Pastor Donovan Price.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office said one of the men who was killed had not yet been identified late Tuesday, while the office had not reached the family of the other.    

Medellel is to appear for a detention hearing in Cook County Criminal Court on Wednesday.