Family: Slain South Side Chicago restaurateur's spirit will live on
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A restaurant owner was shot and killed just outside of his Beverly neighborhood business in broad daylight last week.
Tyran Williams, 34, had just opened Gusto's Kitchen, at 1767 W. 95th St. near Wood Street, in September of last year. His family said the goal was to create generational wealth for his kids.
Williams' family said he put a lot of money into opening his business - to the point where he went broke several times. But none of that stopped him from chasing his passion, and opening Gusto's Kitchen.
"If it was a record, I would say he went platinum," said Williams' godmother, Natasha Poe. "Literally, he went platinum."
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that Williams had been charged in connection with a shooting at Oakbrook Center mall in 2021, and was awaiting trial at the time of his death.
Williams' family said say although he is not physically around anymore, his spirit will live on through the restaurant.
"This was his passion. This was his passion," Poe said of the restaurant, "and if you could just see him dancing in the kitchen."
On Friday, tragedy struck. Police said Williams was in an alley outside Gusto's when he was approached by a suspect in a blue vehicle. The suspect pulled out a gun and began shooting.
Williams' sister, Terrona Gipson, said her son and cousin were working inside the restaurant when Williams was shot. When they came outside, they saw Williams lying on the ground.
"Some stuff they're never going to be unable to see," said Gipson. "How do you unsee that?"
Gipson said she got the horrific call that her brother was shot. She said she visited her brother's restaurant every Sunday.
Little did she know that last visit would be the last time Gipson's brother would cook for her.
"My brother has been wanting to open a restaurant for years, and he finally has gotten to do it," Gipson said. "I'm glad I got over here to come and eat his food."
Williams named the restaurant after his godmother's brother, who was shot and killed more than 10 years ago.
"And he said, 'I'm going to put a restaurant in his name - is that OK?' I'm like, 'Yeah!' And he then said, 'I want to leave my children a legacy - or at least something that could take care of them. And he said, 'Gusto's it is,'" said Poe. "So that's why it's Gusto's."
Williams was a father of three boys and one girl.
"They are crushed," said Poe.
"They used to be in here all the time," Gipson added. "Every time I came on Sundays, they were here."
One of Williams' last Instagram posts was about how he took a leap of faith - determined to stay out of trouble on the streets - and proved to himself that he could really make a change.
Williams' family did not have a time frame Monday of when the restaurant would reopen, but they said it will not be closed for good.
Police said no one is in custody in the shooting that killed Williams as of late Monday.
In 2021, Williams and another man were charged in connection with a shooting at Oakbrook Center shopping mall. He was still awaiting trial at the time of the shooting.
DuPage County prosecutors said Williams came to the mall with a gun in December 2021, and got into a shootout with 29-year-old Steve Lane at the mall near the Ann Taylor and Aunti Anne's stores. Williams was shot four times, but Lane was not injured. Four innocent bystanders also were shot, according to police and prosecutors; including three women and a man.
Williams had been charged with five counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of unlawful use of weapon by a felon, but had not yet gone on trial when he was killed.
Lane is charged with one count of aggravated battery, four counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Lane is still awaiting trial.
