Man shot at Chinatown lounge suing owners for more than $100K

A man who says he was shot last year at a Chinatown neighborhood lounge has filed a lawsuit against its owners.

Jonathan Smith says he was shot Nov. 13, 2016 while he was at 15/20 Lounge, 2428 S. Wallace St., according to court documents filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court.

Smith is seeking more than $100,000 in damages from the club’s owner, Wei Jun Mei, and the business, according to the suit. Smith claims Mei and the club were negligent when they allowed a person with a concealed gun into the lounge.

The shooting happened about 2:15 a.m., when an unidentified male fired shots inside the lounge, Chicago Police said. A 32-year-old man was struck multiple times in his abdomen, and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.

According to the suit, security staff failed to detect the gun when they conducted a pat-down of patrons entering the lounge. Further, security failed to remove the gunman and allowed him to remain at the club after he was involved in an altercation.

“We flatly deny some act or omission on our part was a cause of this unforeseeable incident,” Ryan Jacobson, an attorney representing the lounge, said in a statement. “With the criminal case still pending, we expect the authorities will prosecute and punish the only person responsible for this senseless criminal act — the shooter.”

Smith is requesting a jury trial.