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‘We’d like assist.’ Bucktown pub proprietor held at gunpoint, first of 9 armed robberies in an hour on North, Northwest sides

Eric Johnson’s pub in Bucktown had already been hit by robbers 3 times within the final a number of weeks when a automotive pulled up early Sunday and 4 folks with weapons jumped out.

“It occurred so quick,” mentioned Johnson, who owns Burke’s Internet Pub at 2026 W. Webster Ave. “They pulled over and all 4 of them acquired out and pointed their weapons at us. I stood up and advised them, ‘Take every little thing, simply maintain me protected.’”

Johnson, 41, was the primary in a string of 9 armed robberies that occurred over an hour inside blocks of one another on the North and Northwest sides, apparently by the identical crew, in line with police.

Johnson mentioned he was sitting exterior together with his supervisor when the robbers hit. “There have been no phrases,” he mentioned. “Neither of us have ever been so scared. They may have ended our life.”

In every of the Sunday assaults, folks have been approached by 4 robbers who acquired out of a automotive, police mentioned in a neighborhood alert. The opposite robberies occurred at:

  • 1200 block of North Damen Avenue
  • 2700 block of North Milwaukee Avenue
  • 2200 block of West Webster Avenue
  • 2600 block of North Kedzie Avenue
  • 2900 block of West Armitage Avenue
  • 3000 block of North Kimball Avenue
  • 3200 block of North Elston Avenue
  • 3100 block of North California Avenue

Police have reported no arrests.

Johnson mentioned somebody broke into his bar three totally different occasions inside 15 days final month and took “a life-altering amount of cash.”

Johnson deliberate to attend a neighborhood policing assembly Wednesday night time to ask Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) for extra safety of their neighborhood. 

“I don’t really feel protected. We’d like assist,” Johnson mentioned. “I’m taking the video footage to the assembly to point out the impact it has taken on my life.”




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