CHICAGO, IL – Two men were shot after someone opened fire into a Taco Bell Cantina located in Chicago’s Loop district, according to the police. The incident happened just before 12:30 a.m., in the 100 block of North Wabash Avenue.
An anonymous woman who was visiting Chicago experienced the horrifying ordeal in person. She was at the restaurant late at night when she suddenly heard numerous gunshots, followed by panic and people screaming to get down. It lasted for around 15-20 seconds.
The police reported that the shots were fired from outside the restaurant. Among the panicked customers, the woman observed a man protecting his girlfriend by shielding her body with his. As she ducked under the table for safety, she anxiously anticipated if someone would enter the building next.
After the shooting, two men within the building were reported injured. One of them, in deep distress, cried out about being hit and ran helplessly into the street, asking for help. The victims, aged 31 and 40 years, suffered gunshot wounds in the leg and the shoulder, respectively.
The restaurant staff guided everyone towards a safe exit through the back door a few minutes after the shooting. Regular operations resumed within 12 hours after the incident. This restaurant was identified as the crime scene of a previous shooting in 2022, during which two unsuspecting men were shot. That incident led to the cancellation of a show at the Nederlander Theatre situated down the street.
There has been no public description of the suspect or suspects involved, and no arrest has been made so far, as per the latest update from the Chicago Police Department.