The scene was chaotic, with bullets flying as people ran in search. Now the mayor plans to hold the owner of this building accountable.
The big party inside a warehouse on the south side of the city ended with 15 people shot and two killed. The video made in the early hours of Sunday morning inside the after-hours party shows people dancing and having fun. Moments later the shots explode.
“The music plays, people have fun and then what you know is I feel like shooting,” a witness told ABC7 Chicago. “Then everyone came down to earth shouting.”
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A witness who did not want to be identified said one of her friends was run over twice.
“He got shot and asked me to come help him, so I drove him to the hospital,” the witness said. “He was at the head of the party, that’s how he was shot. They were shooting from the front of the party.”
The shooting happened shortly before 5 a.m. Sunday on 6700 Island on S. South Chicago Avenue.
The building is used for car repair and towing, but overnight it was packed.
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The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection has twice issued cessation and cessation orders to several companies located at management. The violations, which began in 2018, were for illegally operating a cigar and liquor salon without the proper commercial license.
In 2019, the city said the owner of the building was arrested for violating that order and the illegal business was closed.
“Obviously, this was an unauthorized use for this facility,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.
“Given the story, I would expect some significant action to be taken.”
The coroner identified the two murders as Rayneesha Dotson, 30, and Lionel Darling, 39. Dotson’s family said she had just moved to Texas to escape armed violence and was visiting her again when she was killed.
Chicago police believe the shooting was related to a gang.
“Everyone was on the ground trying to find a way out,” the witness said. “It wrapped me inside.”
City records show that there was a follow-up investigation in 2019 and no problems were found. Now the mayor is working on the case.
At this time, no one is arrested for the shooting.
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