Shooting during concert at Aurora restaurant kills 1, wounds another; suspected shooter dead: police

AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- Two people were shot, one fatally, during a concert event inside of a restaurant in the west suburbs, police said. The alleged shooter is also dead, police said.

Witnesses attending the concert said they rushed out of a back door at this venue as gunshots were being fired off inside. One man said he was essentially just waiting to get shot before being able to escape the chaotic scene.

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The shooting happened sometime before 9:30 p.m. during an event at the Two Brothers Roundhouse, located at 205 N. Broadway in Aurora, police said.

Three people were found shot inside the business, and one of them was believed to be the shooter, police said in an update online.

A woman taken to a nearby hospital later died, Aurora police said.

A man was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, and the alleged shooter was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.

Police said the three knew each other, and the shooting was domestic in nature.

A music group called Beyond The Blonde was set to perform at the space Saturday night.

They later said on Facebook, "Last night was terrifying, sad, and absolutely shocking. The shooting at Two Brothers has left us shaken to our core. Our hearts are with the families and friends of those lost to such senseless violence. No one should ever have to experience that kind of fear or heartbreak. We're still processing so many emotions - disbelief, sadness, gratitude for safety, and deep compassion for everyone affected. Hold your loved ones close today."

There was no current threat to the public.

"Our hearts are heavy tonight. Members of our community were senselessly shot while simply trying to enjoy a night out, and our entire city feels the weight of that violence," Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas said. "On behalf of the Aurora Police Department, I want the victims and their families to know we are standing with you and doing everything we can to make sure you have answers."

The lead singer of the Beyond The Blonde band, Charity Benevelli, told ABC7 there was a lot of uncertainty as the first shot was fired.

"We're very thankful because at the time we didn't know," Benevelli said. We had no idea if there was one or multiple... there was multiple shots and we didn't know where they were coming from."

One man who attended the concert says everyone quickly dropped to the floor.

"We definitely knew what was going on. The shots just kept coming," Chicago resident Greg Perdue said. "There had to be at least seven shots that rang out. I didn't think they were ever going to end and we were kind of army crawling trying to get more underneath the balcony."

Witnesses say one of the members of the band found a side door and yelled for everyone to get out as soon as they could.

"As chaotic and scary as it was, people weren't shoving or anything like that, and everyone was helping each other, hugging outside even complete strangers just coming together in disbelief of what happened," Benevelli said.

"It was very scary," Perdue said. "I mean I was literally waiting to get shot as I was running out this door I was expecting to get shot."

That's also not the only shooting Perdue witnessed this weekend. He says he was in Chicago at a theatre on Randolph Friday night when shots were fired on state street, injuring seven teenagers.

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"I was in close proximity to the seven people who were shot on state and Randolph, so here I am I've been in close proximity of 10 people being shot since Friday night," Perdue said.

The venue remained closed Sunday as the investigation continues.

ABC7 is still waiting for more information from Aurora police on what exactly led to the shooting.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call the Aurora Police Department's Investigations Division at (630) 256-5500.

Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Aurora Area Crime Stoppers at (630) 892-1000 or online at www.p3tips.com/135. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest of felony crime offenders and fugitives.

Roundhouse management said in a statement that the restaurant will be temporarily closed after the shooting:
"We are profoundly saddened by the violence that occurred on Saturday November 22nd at Two Brothers Roundhouse. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy. The safety, comfort, and well-being of our guests, staff, and community remain our highest priorities.

"We are deeply grateful for the swift and professional response from Aurora Police and Fire Department and all the emergency personnel.

"We appreciate the compassion, patience, and understanding shown by our guests and community during this difficult moment.

"We will update restaurant hours and information soon."