The stabbing happened around 2:56 p.m. inside a Ross Dress for Less store near East Randolph Street and North Wabash Avenue, Chicago police said.
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A 26-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach and back after a verbal altercation with another man, police said. He was taken to Northwestern Hospital in good condition.
The Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene just before 3 p.m. CFD initially said the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
The violent attack happened during a busy shopping time. Witnesses described the fight that, they said, seemed to be over store merchandise.
"Suddenly, they were just fighting," witness Mario Cadena said.
An Ambulance's sirens blared through downtown Chicago as an injured retail store employee was rushed away while his job changed into a crime scene.
"They taped off the whole men's section with that yellow tape," customer Felicia Lowery said. "I'm watching, like, 'okay, I don't want nobody to run on the elevator with me and try to escape.'"
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Shoppers who witnessed the stabbing told ABC7 it happened near the men's department.
Witnesses told ABC7 the person attacked was a security guard who was confronted by two people.
"At that moment, I thought that it was just two kids fighting for some clothes," Cadena said.
Customers said they saw the suspect run away after the attack.
"I heard the staff person talking to police," witness Angelina Freeman said. "I guess he seen them, kind of, fighting. He seen them, [get] stabbed, and the person had left."
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The store closed early to customers as police collected evidence inside among, what ABC7 was told, was scattered and bloodied merchandise.
"That's one thing I hate about when summer comes, because you can't enjoy the summer," Lowery said. "You always got to be looking over, you know, and now they're in the stores."
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No one was in custody. Police continue to investigate.
No further information was immediately available.
ABC7 has reached out to Ross for comment.