Wicker Park club shut down by top cop after 2 shootings

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown on Tuesday shut down a Wicker Park nightclub that was the scene of two shootings in recent months, including a fatal gunfight in October that injured four bystanders and an attack early Sunday that left a patron seriously wounded.

A notice posted on the front door of The Point, 1565 N. Milwaukee, states that Brown ordered the bar and music venue closed and deemed it a threat to public safety due to “a violent offense” occurring during operating hours. However, both shootings happened after hours.

Just after closing at 5 a.m. Sunday, roughly 10 bullets were fired into The Point, which is located on a hot nightlife and retail strip. The victim, who wasn’t believed to be the intended target, was struck in the right eye and later rushed to Stroger Hospital, according to Chicago police and a law enforcement source.

That shooting came a few months after the deadly Oct. 10 exchange of gunfire outside the bar that left a gunman dead and wounded four bystanders. Another shooter was hit with multiple charges, including attempted murder.

The Point’s owner, Jun Lin, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

But in October, Lin told the Chicago Sun-Times that he had called the cops twice hoping to have an unruly crowd dispersed before the gunfire erupted. He noted on Sunday that a squad car was parked in front of the bar until 5 a.m., when he said he told officers to leave.

The city’s notice states that within three business days, Lin can request a probable cause hearing before Mayor Lori Lightfoot “to determine whether a public safety threat occurred.” He can similarly request a so-called nuisance abatement hearing in front of Lightfoot to contest whether a threat occurred or refute Brown’s decision “that continued operation of the establishment presents a danger to the public.”

Failing to request those hearings, or to appear, will result in the club’s closure for up to six months.