Parents of security guard killed in shooting outside nightclub speak out

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man working as a security guard was killed and another man was injured during a shooting outside of a popular bar in River North.

Now, that security guard's mother is demanding answers. Lydia Bailey said her son had big ambitions of becoming a business owner.

"Devastated, devastated, devastated," Bailey said.

Bailey said she can't believe her son Thurman is gone.

Thurman Bailey, 28, was working as a security guard while an event was taking place inside of Sound-Bar Nightclub when a fight broke out with a large group of people outside of the bar, police said.

It happened just after midnight Friday. Fifteen people started fighting in the alley near the entrance of the club, when a man pulled out a gun and started shooting, police said. Lydia said that's when she got a phone call.

"He was shot multiple times in the chest," Lydia said.

Lydia's son was killed. Another man, 58, sustained gunshot wounds in his leg and arm, and drove himself to the hospital.

"[Thurman was] very kind, very protective. Always that person that had to push you back to stand there. He felt that everyone has to be defended," Lydia added.

"We gotta do something about these guns. I guess the baby boomer men, we gonna have to get together to do something," Thurman's father Charles Bailey Jr. pleaded. "We can't have this, we can't keep doing this."

Authorities found bullet casings all across the street and sidewalk near Ontario and Franklin.

Lydia said her son moved back home after college and was working two jobs, so he could fulfill his dreams of opening his own security business. Thurman was also traveling the world and maintaining strong relationships with his family and friends. His loss comes as a complete shock.

"Thurman was working two jobs, my son watched me work two jobs, my brothers worked two jobs. We're a hard working family. And for somebody to take him away from me like that, I'm upset," Charles said.

His father described him as a big teddy bear, his mother a retired northwestern worker described him as a caring man, he was a registered organ donor, and she used to work in the solid organ transplant unit.

"All I can do is pray every day that they would be safe," Bailey said. "Yesterday, my prayer wasn't answered."

"We have a hospitality detail that patrols these areas Thursday, Friday and Saturdays to try and keep it safe but in the late hours of the night they get spread thin. They can't be on this block all night long," Alderman Brendan Reilly said, "but this is a routine occurrence where we're having criminal activity on those sidewalks any one of those nights, any given weekend."

Authorities said they believe the suspect was last seen wearing a green puffy jacket and a black hat. No arrests have been made.

There are several surveillance cameras around the area that may have captured the shooting. The shooting remains under investigation.