Regular customer killed in Brighton Park gas station armed robbery, CPD says
This is the second shooting at the Brighton Park Thorntons gas station in two years.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man was killed in an armed robbery at a gas station in Brighton Park Tuesday morning, Chicago police said.
The incident occurred at about 2:52 a.m. in the 3400-block of South California Avenue.
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Police said a suspect or suspects entered a business with handguns and demanded money from the register.
While fleeing the scene with money, a suspect fired shots at a 36-year-old man, hitting him several times, police said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another man said he spoke with the clerk about what happened.
"I know the lady that works there," he said. "She tells me, 'We just got stuck up.' And I said, 'Are you OK?' she said, 'Yeah, but on the way out, they killed the guy that warned us they were coming in."
"He flew over the counter," a witness said. "Told the lady, 'Listen, we're not going to shoot you, just give us the (expletive) register and that's it.' When they opened the register, they got the stuff and walked out. And on the way out, they shot the guy."
A man said the victim was a regular customer, who was getting a cup of coffee and fueling up when he saw suspicious men wearing ski masks.
"He told them, 'you know somebody is out there.' Because he went in and came back out right away. So, I'm sorry to the family that unfortunately, you never know when you're gonna make it back home, when you go to work," the man said.
This is the second shooting at the Brighton Park Thorntons gas station in two years.
In September 2024, three people were shot, including two employees, after armed suspects chased a man inside.
"They're hurting for money," the man said. "But we are all hurting for money. But you want to take somebody's life for a couple hundred bucks? How can you do that?"
The cashier said she does not want to work the overnight shift anymore, after this.
No other injuries were reported and Area One detectives are investigating.
A shattered window at the station was later boarded up as investigators worked the scene.
Ald. Julia Ramirez, whose 12th Ward includes the gas station, said the area has faced repeated violence.
"We've been heavily impacted by violence," Ramirez said.
Ramirez visited the station Tuesday and noted the presence of lighting and surveillance cameras at the property, which sits next to the expressway. She said the location's accessibility may contribute to concerns about crime.
"One of the things that we think about is sort of the access, you know, to be able to come onto the Thorntons and that accessibility. So in one way it brings a lot of customers, and then in another way, it can pose sort of like a danger in somebody you know approaching the Thorntons and feeling like they can flee very easily, jumping onto the expressway," Ramirez said.
Thorntons is owned by BP.
In a statement, BP spokesperson Cesar Rodriguez said, "We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred early this morning. No employees were injured, and we are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate."
The gas station remained open Tuesday as the investigation continued and the victim's family grappled with the loss. No arrests were announced.
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