Man found guilty in fatal shooting of 2 men in 2020 Chinatown robbery attempt

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The man charged in the murders of two men who were targeted during a robbery attempt in Chinatown five years ago was found guilty Friday.

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Chicago police said Alvin Thomas was taken into custody about 15 minutes after the shooting took place in the early morning hours of Feb. 9, 2020 in the 2000-block of South Wells Street inside an apartment building parking lot.

Thomas tried to rob two men, Huayi Bian, 36, and Weizhing Xiong, 38, and a 44-year-old woman, police said. The woman complied, but the two men resisted, at which point police said Thomas shot and killed the two men. The woman was unharmed.

Police said officers were able to monitor cameras in the area to track Thomas down. Police said he ran about four or five blocks and police said shell casings from the scene matched the gun Thomas has on him.

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Thomas faced four separate counts of murder, court records showed.

Police said Thomas had a criminal history, and was on probation for a 2018 robbery and battery in Boystown.

The murders sent shockwaves throughout the Chinatown neighborhood. Bian was a rideshare driver.

The trial for the murders began earlier this week, nearly six years after the crimes.

Jury deliberations began Friday afternoon, where they reached a guilty verdict.