Local Market grocery store in South Shore reopens after residents keep looters out

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Local Market in South Shore reopened Thursday after residents in the neighborhood stepped in to stop looters during unrest Monday.

"Here we are today with a store that is intact," said Tonya Trice, South Shore Chamber of Commerce. "It symbolizes unity for one, this was one of the few grocery stores that was spared on the Southeast Side of Chicago."

RELATED: After 6 years without grocery store, South Shore neighbors get new Local Market

On Monday afternoon, Chicago police officers responded to 71st and Jeffrey for looting at the shopping center. While damage and looting happened at other non-locally owned stores, some residents calmed the crowd to protect the grocery store.

Loren Taylor, a longtime South Shore resident, said he knows the frustration and anger over police brutality as well as he knows the six-year struggle to get a grocery store to open in what was a food desert. So he warned the folks trying to get into the grocery store of extra police presence, and appealed to them as neighbors.

"Saying, 'Look, we got kids, we gotta get up in this store,' and saying nah, you don't want to do that. Your grandmother probably don't want you to do that," Taylor said. "The people who owned this store didn't have to call us, we came down here on our own. This is an example of what happens we you're a good neighbor and part of this community."

"The tensions were high, the emotions were high," said Val Free, Neighborhood Network Alliance. "The community was response was better than the looting."

"It's a testament to the fact that we intend to be together, work together for change, to make sure the businesses we need in our community are present," said Dr. Carol Adams, South Shore Works.

Moving forward, those we spoke with hope there is ongoing unity, that some of the other stores reopen, and ultimately there are more locally-owned businesses in the community.