4 wounded in Gold Coast drive-by shooting, CPD says; alderman seeks to shut down nearby club

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Four people were wounded in a drive-by shooting in the Gold Coast Friday morning, Chicago police said.

The shooting took place at about 3:48 a.m. in the 1100-block of North Dearborn Avenue.

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Police said a gray Acura sedan approached and shots were fired from the vehicle at four people on the sidewalk.

The vehicle then drove south, police said.

The shooting left four people, a 22-year-old woman, a 60-year-old man, a 45-year-old man and a 24-year-old man, wounded. They were each taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in good condition. Second Ward Alderman Brian Hopkins said two of the victims were security guards.

The brazen violence sprung neighbors out of bed.

"We hear gunfire in this neighborhood frequently, most people leaving bars fighting with each other," neighbor Mel Jones said.

One witness said he heard gunshots.

"I am staying at an Airbnb just right here, on the other side of here. Just sleeping, and I just heard nothing but gunshots," the witness said. "I am from St. Louis; so I have heard nothing but gunshots before, but this was a lot louder. It sounded like a rifle. I stepped outside, looked left and looked right, and I saw nothing but police officers."

Hopkins said the shooting allegedly stemmed from a fight at a nearby bar.

"There's a real problem happening here on Division Street," Hopkins said.

A woman who was injured in the shooting told ABC7 she was not involved in a fight.

Alderman Hopkins said two of the victims shot are security guards who were working at the time for a nearby bar.

"You've got to be cautious. I have this. I have a whistle that's real loud and a flashlight flashes on, off. And I have a really inexpensive watch I got from Amazon. All it does is call 911," neighbor Kendall Malloy said. "You're sort of rooted here. You're raising your family here. You just got to be careful."

Hopkins said the shooting stemmed from fights that allegedly broke out at Gold Coast Social, a nearby nightclub.

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He said this isn't the first time problems have erupted there, prompting him to now take action.

"I have requested a summary closure," Alderman Hopkins said. "I have already been in touch with Superintendent Snelling's office to let him know this written request will be forthcoming."

Gold Coast Social's owner said in a statement, "I don't believe this incident originated from or had anything to do with my establishment. We are fully cooperating with the police."

Hopkins also said at least one of the people shot, a woman, may have been caught up in some sort of fight at the bar.

It's still unclear what fueled these alleged fights in the first place.

Alderman Hopkins said police officers were already on scene before, given the busy night, and saw two cars without license plates circling the block before shots were fired.

"We had over 30 Chicago police officers on the street at the time of the shooting," Hopkins said. "It just shows how blatant and bold these criminals are that they will open fire with an automatic rifle in the presence of over 30 police officers. That didn't seem to intimidate them at all."

John Burow, who woke up to the scene, says he would be in agreement to closing any place down that causes the neighborhood problems.

"It's a great place to come. But, you know, sometimes you get a bad element, and it ruins things for everyone," Burow said. "They have these parties in the morning, and people are coming out of there drunk, puking on the street. It's kind of a mess."

Hopkins said surveillance cameras from nearby businesses captured the shooting. He said detectives have that footage.

The Department of Law at the city of Chicago says there is currently no active litigation associated with Gold Coast Social.

Alderman Hopkins said his request for a summary closure is still under consideration.

So far no arrests have been made.

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