1 killed, 1 critically injured in exchange of gunfire outside Jim’s Original in Little Italy, near UIC

CHICAGO — An exchange of gunfire late Tuesday night outside Jim’s Original, a popular hot dog stand in Little Italy near the University of Illinois Chicago, left one man dead and a 19-year-old injured.

According to police, occupants of a red sedan and a dark-colored SUV exited their vehicles and exchanged gunfire on the street in the 1200 block of South Union Avenue at about 10:30 p.m.

A witness who did not want to be identified said the cars stopped in the street outside Jim’s Original, then the occupants started shooting at each other. One person reportedly broke a bottle over the head of another before bullets started flying.

Police said one man was shot in the face and taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police did not give his age. Additionally, police say, a 19-year-old man who was in the dark-colored SUV was shot in the chest and taken to an area hospital in critical condition.

Dozens of cars parked in the area were also hit in the exchange of gunfire.

Back in 2021, in an effort to curb violence in the area, the owners of the Jim’s Original in the 1200 block of S. Union Ave. agreed to a request from their landlord and UIC to shut down between 1 and 6 a.m.

That location had been open 24 hours for about 60 years prior to 2021.

The restaurant also added security guards to help patrol the area and is covered by many security cameras. WGN has been told the security footage from Tuesday night has been turned over to police to help in their investigation.

“It’s summertime. That’s why they stopped opening (for) 24 hours, because of the violence and stuff like that,” the witness to Tuesday’s shooting said. “Every summertime’s the same thing over here.”

Jim’s Original was open at the time of the shooting, but management says it did not involve the restaurant’s customers or employees.

“We’re still OK. Nothing’s really happening. It’s just all around us,” said Betty Domatola.

Police had nobody in custody as of Wednesday afternoon. No suspect descriptions have been released. Area Three detectives continue to investigate.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV.