Deadly Brudder's Shooting Came After 40+ 911 Calls About Troubled Bar

IRVING PARK — A recent fatal shooting at Brudder's Bar & Grill wasn't an isolated incident, 911 call records show.

Data obtained by the 45th Ward office and shared with residents show that police were called to the bar 44 times in the past two years. Of those calls, 14 were for assault and battery, and, of those incidents, seven involved a gun.

The statistics were confirmed by Owen Brugh, chief of staff for Ald. John Arena.

Bouncer Angel Ortiz was shot at Brudder's, 3600 N. Pulaski Road, on April 2 and later died of his injuries. The bar has been closed for business since the shooting and will remain so until at least April 18, according to Arena.

Neighbors said Brudder's underwent a personality change on weekends, transforming from a laid-back sports bar into a rowdy dance club.

In the wake of the fatal shooting, community organizations have sent an appeal to the interim police commander, the liquor commission and elected officials, asking that the bar not be allowed to reopen until it agrees to significant changes in its operation.

Back-to-back killings in the area — a fatal stabbing at Bart's Coins & Collectibles as well as the shooting at Brudder's — stunned neighbors a little more than a week ago.

The recent murders in Irving Park will be the main topic of discussion at Wednesday's CAPS meeting for Beats 1732 abd 1733, 7 p.m. at Athletic Field Park, 3546 W. Addison St.

Cmdr. Elias Voulgaris of the Albany Park Police District is expected to attend, along with beat officers.

An outdoor police roll call will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, near Brudder's, 3600 N. Pulaski Road.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here: