'Disgruntled Ex-Employee' Shoots and Kills 2 People, Chicago Police Say

Two men at Chicago’s Navy Pier died at the hands of what officials are calling a “disgruntled ex-employee.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, officers from the Chicago Police Department responded to a call regarding “shots fired, possibly several individuals shot.” The incident happened at the north side of Navy Pier near an administrative office in a loading dock area at about 1:18 p.m., said Chief of Patrol Jon Hein at an afternoon press conference.

According to Hein, the “disgruntled ex-employee,” who had been fired on Oct. 14, entered the loading dock and fired “multiple shots,” striking two individuals. They were later taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where they died from their injuries.

Although the victims’ identities have not been released, WBBM-TV reports that they are two males, ages 47 and 51.

Leena Porter, who was visiting the tourist attraction when the incident occurred, told the news outlet that she saw a heavy police presence afterward.

“The police, they were just everywhere. They just came through, and they started telling people to come up out of the way, moving people around, no cars were coming through. They blocked it off,” she said.

“It’s crazy. I just hope they get whoever they were looking for,” continued Porter.

While Hein noted that it is still “very early” in the investigation and that detectives are still processing the scene, he said police have a person of interest who they are “actively seeking” and referred to the shooting as an “isolated incident.”

“The pier is clear now. The pier is safe. We wouldn’t open if we didn’t believe and know for sure that it was safe,” he said.

Navy Pier Chief Operating Officer Brian Murphy echoed similar sentiments, expressing that the “isolated incident” occurred at a “private office in the loading deck area,” which is a “non-public space” at Navy Pier.

“We immediately implemented our security protocols and locked down Navy Pier,” said Murphy, noting that officials confirmed via security cameras the former employee left the area.

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“At no time did we feel like anybody from the public was in danger. This was more of a targeted issue that occurred today at Navy Pier,” he said. The lockdown has since been lifted.