CHICAGO — The owners of the Wild Hare club say they're being unfairly treated in the wake of a viral video that shows a woman shooting into a busy stretch of Halsted Street in Lincoln Park.
The Wild Hare, 2610 N. Halsted St., is on the block where the Saturday morning gunfire incident occurred. Wild Hare has faced pushback from neighbors who worried it would bring crime to the area and pointed to the video as an example, but the owners say their club didn't play a role in Saturday's incident.
"Everyone jumps to the conclusion that somehow the Wild Hare is at fault," said co-owner Bill Glastris. "These were not our customers. They never entered the premises. They were on the same block as our club. We don't know where they came from."
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The video shows a group of people arguing and shoving each other, and five shots are fired over about two minutes and 30 seconds. Police said they arrested the shooter after she was identified by witnesses. Jennifer Spegall, 32, of Broadview, was charged with reckless conduct.
According to Crime in Wrigleyville and Boystown blog, which first wrote about the incident, 911 callers said the fight began at the Wild Hare.
Justin Moore, a member of the Wrightwood Neighbors Group, said he heard the shots and saw eight to 15 police cars respond. The neighborhood group has opposed Wild Hare in the past, he said.
"We had some opposition," Moore said. "There was elements of crime they had at [their] other location. We had concerns that it would be brought over to our area. And here we are."
Glastris said the club met with police to review security footage that showed the woman who later fired shots getting turned away at Wild Hare's doors when she and another woman tried to get in. Officer Jose Estrada, Chicago Police spokesman, said police could not provide additional information about the investigation or confirm if officers met with Wild Hare.
Wild Hare should be "commended" for how it handled the situation, Glastris said. But, the club, which serves a diverse crowd, has faced an "extremely well-documented" history of discrimination, Glastris said.
The club moved from Wrigleyville to Lincoln Park in 2012, but it took two years and a court battle before Wild Hare was granted a live music license. Neighbors had expressed concern the club would bring crime to the area.
After Saturday's incident, some blamed Wild Hare again.
"Once again, because there's an incident on Halsted Street that involves an African American, suddenly it's the Wild Hare's fault," Glastris said. "Who knows where this person is coming from? Who knows where they had been drinking?
"They weren't from our place. If they were white, would it have been the Wild Hare's fault?"
Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) was not immediately available for comment.
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