Police seek to identify group in shooting that left two men wounded near Chicago Theatre
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police on Wednesday released and video of an incident at the Taco Bell Cantina on Wabash Avenue downtown that led to two innocent men being shot in the alley outside the Chicago Theatre this past weekend.
The shooting in turn forced the cancellation of a production of "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" at the Nederlander Theatre down the street.
Police said the victims - two men ages 27 and 55, one of whom worked as a stagehand - were struck by gunfire on the Benton Place alley off Wabash Avenue just before 5 p.m. Sunday. Neither was an intended target.
It all started when three men were robbed at the Taco Bell Cantina around the corner at 178 N. Wabash Ave., and the victims chased the robbers and fired at them - wounding the two innocent men instead.
Video shows three men walking into the Taco Bell Cantina, milling around, and settling in. One sits down at a table, while the other is seen biting his fingernails as he orders a drink.
Later, three other men walk in and come up to the first group. As the groups huddle together, it appears drugs are brought onto a table at the front of the restaurant. But the deal goes bad, when it appears a man in a blue jacket from the second group forcibly takes something from a man from the first group.
At that point, the men from the second group leave, and three men from the first group rapidly run out after them. One man runs through the restaurant and outside, chasing the other group with a gun in his hand.
The video then shows two of the three men from the first group walking up the stairs to the State/Lake 'L' stip.
It is these two men whom police are seeking to identify. One is wearing a black puffy jacket with a hood, and a Boston Red Sox hat, and light tattered jeans. The other is wearing a blue, red, and white Philadelphia Phillies jacket.
Following the broad-daylight shooting late Sunday, a large crowd watched the crime scene tape go up as they waited to get into the Chicago Theatre for the sold-out "Letterkenny Live!" comedy show. The doors opened just as the shots rang out.
That show went ahead. But "Moulin Rouge" at the Nederlander did not. Broadway in Chicago sent out a notice canceling a "Moulin Rouge! The Musical" performance Sunday night, "due to an earlier disturbance."
An audience member at "Moulin Rouge" reported the announcement was made after the house was full and the curtain had been raised.
"This whole street was full of people, and everyone started running, taking off," said one witness who did not want to reveal his name. "We heard one gunshot go off, and we weren't sure it was a gunshot at first. And then like a second after that, you heard like four more."
The 55-year-old victim, who worked as a stagehand for "Moulin Rouge," was shot in the ear and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in fair condition. The 27-year-old was shot in the hand and taken to the same hospital in good condition.
On Wednesday night, the show went on at the Nederlander. Chicago bike police made their rounds as theatergoers went inside.
"Unfortunately, this is the new normal for the city of Chicago, so we don't want those events to limit our plans," said Chet Desai, who attended "Moulin Rouge" Wednesday night. "So we're just going to go ahead and hope for the best."
"Obviously, we come down here wanting to enjoy our time at the theatre – and it's unfortunate that's the way it turned out," said Melody Derrick, who also attended.
Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said he has deployed more resources to the downtown area.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Area Three detectives at (312) 744-8263, or submit an anonymous tip to cpdtip.com.