3 men, including 2 employees, shot at gas station in Brighton Park late Tuesday night, Chicago police say

CHICAGO — Three people, including two employees, were shot late Tuesday night at the Thorntons Fuel Station in Brighton Park on the city’s Southwest Side.

According to Chicago police, four male offenders were chasing a 25-year-old man when, just after 10 p.m., two of the offenders produced a gun and shot at the victim. Police say the victim ran into the gas station, located in the 3400 block of South California Avenue, and one of the offenders followed him inside and continued shooting before fleeing the scene.

The 25-year-old man was shot in the stomach and both legs, police say, and was treated by Chicago Fire Department personnel before being taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

Additionally, police say, two gas station employees were shot. One, a 26-year-old man, was shot in the mouth and treated by CFD before being taken to an area hospital in critical condition. Another, a 25-year-old man, was shot in the back and treated by CFD before being taken to an area hospital in good condition.

Witness Alfredo Lopez says stopped by the Thorntons Fuel Station in Brighton Park to buy ice cream Tuesday night. He was getting ready to pay when he suddenly heard a gunshot, followed by a barrage of bullets, before making a quick decision to escape through the back doors.

“I looked to my left, and that’s when they started shooting,” Lopez said. “The glass broke, and I saw (an) employee, unfortunately, that got shot. I saw him go down, and (the offenders) kept shooting, kept shooting.

“So I ran out with the ice cream, and while I was running out, they kept shooting.”

Police say nobody is in custody, and Area One detectives are investigating the incident.

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the Thorntons Fuel Station in Brighton Park remained closed off as police continued their investigation.

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