UPTOWN — Ald. James Cappleman (46th) wants the city to shut down an Uptown African restaurant that was the site of Chicago's first two homicides of the year.
Early New Year's Day, two men shot each other after having an early morning confrontation at Iyanze, 4623 N. Broadway, police said. The owners of Iyanze could not be reached Tuesday.
"The alderman is pushing the superintendent to use the problem bar ordinance [to shut the place down]. ... He's talked to the station three or four times and asked them to push and make this happen," said Tressa Feher, chief of staff for the 46th Ward. She said the alderman wants to see the restaurant shut down for at least six months.
At 4:25 a.m., Maurice Delaney, 38, and Ali Mohamed, 31, were shot in the 4600 block of North Broadway. Delaney was shot in his chest and right leg, and a 31-year-old man was shot multiple times in his right side, police said.
Both men were taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital, where they died.
Early this morning, 2 subjects inside a restaurant (4600 block N. Broadway) shot each other during a dispute. Both later died from injuries.
— Ald. James Cappleman (@JamesCappleman) January 1, 2017
In May 2015, City Council passed an ordinance empowering the Chicago Police Superintendent to immediately close any establishment that poses a threat to public safety. The ordinance was passed just two days after a pair of men were fatally shot and another was wounded outside Dolphin, 2200 N. Ashland Ave. in Bucktown.
In Feb. 2016, DNAinfo found only five bars and a gas station had been shut down using the ordinance.
Arunee Lawpattanapong, owner of Futatski Ramen, 4621 N. Broadway, heard about the shooting on the news. While she was shocked, she assumed the incident stemmed from one of Iyanze's "parties."
While the area, which is hindered by the reconstruction of Wilson Station, is "usually quiet," she's noticed late-night gatherings mostly on Friday and Saturdays.
"I feel scared because its right next door," Lawpattanapong said, adding the she would consider closing an hour or two earlier. "It's the first day if the new year and it's already starting."
The venue is allowed to host parties as long as there's no cover charge, said Feher, who added the office will be hosting a community meeting to discuss the incident.
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