South Loop Club The Shrine Closed Permanently After 2 Shot Outside Saturday

By Mae Rice in News on Feb 22, 2016 3:55PM

Two people were shot—and one critically injured, after being shot in the head—outside a South Loop music venue, which has since permanently closed.

The shooting at The Shrine took place early Saturday morning, police told reporters.

First, several people got into an altercation inside the venue, located at 21st Street and Wabash Avenue, around 2 a.m. Security escorted the group outside, but one ejected man allegedly returned with a gun and opened fire from a car, police told reporters.

The shooter shot one woman, age 29, in the head. She remains in critical condition. Another man, a 36-year-old security guard at the club, was shot in the leg, according to the Tribune.

The shooting came after security had already apprehended another man from the group of roughly 10 escorted out of the club, according to the Tribune. This man also had a handgun, which he pulled on security in the club parking lot, but they managed to take him into custody when he dropped his gun under a parked car.

He and the shooter both fled the scene after the shooting, and police are still searching for them.

The Shrine was already slated to close on Sunday and be redeveloped into a hotel and apartment tower, Ald. Pat Dowell told ABC7. However, she added that due to the shooting, the venue was closed "immediately and indefinitely.”

The venue announced the news, too, via a Facebook cover photo, which reads:

Due to a tragic shooting, The Shrine will be closing its doors permanently. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The Shrine is fully cooperating with the Chicago Police Department to ensure the perpetrator is brought to justice.

The venue promised to refund tickets to events planned for this week, which included a Busta Rhymes concert and a Mya concert, in a separate Facebook post.

This closing seems to be part of a larger trend of officials shutting down clubs that are sites of violence.

At least four such clubs had already been closed this winter, including three unlicensed ones and licensed Bucktown club Koncrete.

These clubs were closed under the auspices of the Summary Closure ordinance, which allows the Police Superintendent to close businesses deemed public safety threats. It's unclear if this ordinance also underpinned The Shrine's closure.