Portage Park bar robbed at gunpoint with customers inside, Chicago police say

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Customers were inside of a Portage Park bar when it was targeted by robbers Thursday night, Chicago police said.

Police said three suspects armed with handguns entered Gracie O'Malley's in the 4000-block of North Milwaukee Avenue at about 11:40 p.m. and demanded cash from the register.

The manager of the pub said at least 25 customers were there at the time. Police said an employee gave over an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspects then fled.

The bar was back open as of Friday evening.

Minutes before, another nearby business owner said she came face to face with would-be robbers as well, though Chicago police have not said whether it was the same group that robbed Gracie O'Malley's or not.

"I was ready to close the business. I already turned the lights off. And I noticed three guys wearing hoodies and black masks approaching the door," said Margaret Rzadkowski, owner of Margaret's Pub.

Rzadkowski has a habit of locking her door at night, and that one lock likely kept her and her customers out of harm's way.

"I didn't remember in that moment if I locked the door or not, and I got super frightened," she said.

But luckily, she did. She said the three masked people armed with guns looked to be teenage boys, but as soon as they realized the door was locked, they ran away.

"We were shaking. I couldn't talk. I couldn't move," she said.

Police said no one was hurt in the Gracie O'Malley's robbery. So far, in both cases, no one is in custody.

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