Man shot and killed after attacking security guard with axe at marijuana dispensary in Greektown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A man was shot and killed Monday morning after attacking a security guard with an axe outside a marijuana dispensary in Greektown.
Police said, around 10:05 a.m. – five minutes after the dispensary's opening for the day – a man with an axe got into an argument with a security guard outside the Zen Leaf dispensary, at 222 S. Halsted St. between Adams Street and Jackson Boulevard.
The man swung the axe at the security guard, hitting him in the leg, and the security guard shot the man.
The man with the axe was taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The security guard, a 37-year-old man, was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with lacerations to his left leg, and was listed in good condition.
"I just heard all of the police coming and stuff," said witness Schuyler Valentino.
Valentino came back to the scene in shock – because just minutes before opening, he saw a man standing outside the dispensary with a blue backpack nearby. He didn't think anything of it at the time.
"I mean, I walked right by," Valentino said. "At first, I thought the backpack was just dumped there and I was kind of like, 'Who would do that?'"
Workers at restaurants in the busting Greektown area also rushed to figure out what had happened.
"Things have turned bad," a restaurant employee said. "It used to be nice and clean. not anymore."
Zen Leaf released a statement following the incident.
"This morning outside Zen Leaf on Halsted Street, an individual attacked a contracted third party security guard with a weapon outside the dispensary. Both individuals were taken to hospitals with serious injuries. Zen Leaf will be closed for the remainder of Monday, September 5th to allow the Chicago Police Department to conduct their investigation of this incident," a Zen Leaf spokesman said in an email.
Witnesses recalled initially seeing the man who attacked the security guard standing outside the door with a backpack near him before the assault. A pair of scissors also was spotted on the sidewalk after the incident.
The company's owners said the incident was not a robbery. Witnesses suggested the argument was possibly the result of an unhappy customer.
Neighbors said the business is usually quiet.
"They're all good people, man. Anytime I say hello to anybody there, they're very personable nice people; really down to earth, and the security guards are also good people," Valentino said.
Area Three detectives are investigating.
