A Lincoln Park bar was shuttered Tuesday after fights spilled outside and culminated in a deadly shooting this weekend.
Ald. Timmy Knudsen (43rd) said acting police Supt. Fred Waller closed the Dime, 2263 N. Lincoln Ave., “following sustained advocacy and pressure from our office.”
“In partnership with the local community, my office has pushed for further restrictions and investigation of this bar due to several years of safety incidents,” Knudsen said in a statement. “I am grateful to Superintendent Waller for understanding the ongoing public safety threat of this bar, and taking the rare step of a Summary Closure Order.”
Malik McCorkle, 30, was shot multiple times around 11:45 p.m. Sunday outside of King of Cups, a nearby cocktail lounge located at 2238 N Lincoln Ave., according to police and witnesses. A person of interest was later taken into custody, and a gun was recovered.
Witnesses said the shooting happened after fights broke out inside of The Dime. An altercation eventually spilled onto the sidewalk, according to city officials and nearby business owners.
Representatives for The Dime didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Dino Vulpitta, co-owner of King of Cups, said his employees told him what happened, and he insisted The Dime had inadequate security to handle a large crowd.
“They had fights in the bar, so they closed it down and rushed over 200 to 300 people out into the streets,” Vulpitta said. “My doorman called the police when he saw this all happening. We had four people from St. Louis that were paying their tabs, the tourists getting ready to leave.”
The police department didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Knudsen said surveillance video from neighboring businesses showed people openly carrying weapons on the block before the shooting happened. He said neighboring establishments turned over footage to detectives.
His office said Waller’s emergency closure order came amid pressure from residents and business groups after years of safety concerns along that stretch of Lincoln Avenue, which is full of popular bars.
Under the city’s summary closure ordinance, the police superintendent can immediately shut down an establishment without a hearing when it’s tied to a violent crime and it poses a threat to public safety. But the power has been used only about 10 times a year since it was granted in 2015.
The Dime will remain closed for up to six months, unless its owners negotiate a plan mandating strict security enhancements, camera upgrades and restricted operating hours.
“This incident underscores the aggressive work we need to continue to do as a city and state to get guns off of the streets and to prosecute offenders,” Knudsen said, adding that his office will continue advocating for revocations of The Dime’s business licenses.