In some of the crimes, the victims cooperated, but were still hurt by gunmen.
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The crimes began at a retail store at around 8:40 p.m. near Madison and Morgan streets on the Near West Side.
A store clerk told police that two people entered the store with a gun, and demanded money from the register.
The suspects took off in a silver sedan.
Then, there were five incidents in less than two hours.
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First, after 3 a.m., in the 2100-block of South Damen Avenue, police say a man at an ATM drive-thru in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood was approached by four armed suspects. They robbed the man and then struck him on the head before taking off in a silver sedan.
Less than an hour later, another man was robbed while walking in the 2200-block of North Springfield Avenue in Logan Square. That man was also hit on the head before the three suspects took off in a silver sedan.
At 4:24 a.m., an armed group of four people robbed a man as he was walking in the 3500-block of West Dickens Avenue, also in Logan Square, and hit him on the head. That group also drove off in a silver sedan.
At the same time, in the 5800-block of West Fulton Street in South Austin, another man was robbed while walking outside.
Then, at 4:40 a.m., near Kostner Avenue and Washington Boulevard in West Garfield Park, a 65-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were inside a vehicle when four suspects approached them.
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Police say the man, who has a valid Firearm Owner's Identification card and concealed-carry license, fired shots toward the suspects, but didn't hit anyone. One of the suspects fired back, and hit the woman in the chest, and the man in the right leg. Both victims were taken to a hospital. They are expected to be OK.
At this point, police are connecting at least four of the five incidents that happened overnight, and they're linking a total of 20 armed robberies together.
So far, there have been no arrests in any of those cases.
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