Chatham

Chicago police orders 24-hour Subway restaurant closed due to ‘public safety threat'

NBC Universal, Inc.

A Subway restaurant on Chicago's South Side has been forced to close by Chicago police due to a "public safety threat," hours after a man was shot to death at the location.

The restaurant, located at the intersection of West 79th Street and South Perry Avenue in the city's West Chatham neighborhood, is open 24 hours a day with nearby workers saying nighttime violence was common.

Though there's no seating inside the restaurant, there is a waiting area at the location where police say the shooting occurred at around 11:30 p.m. Thursday. The restaurant's counter is surrounded by bulletproof glass to protect employees.

According to authorities, a suspect shot the victim in the head before fleeing the scene. Police did not have information on the age of the victim and no one was in custody.

Though the restaurant was still open for business earlier Friday morning, Chicago police recently arrived to place signs on the restaurant's windows ordering the business' closure at the direction of the police superintendent.

An employee for the Subway told NBC Chicago that the man shot was neither an employee nor a customer, but rather someone hanging out in the restaurant's waiting area.

NBC Chicago was unable to reach the owner of the Subway for comment.

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