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Gunfire broke out outside a Portage Park bar early Sunday, killing three people and wounding a woman, Chicago police said.
The shooting happened outside the Vera Lounge, located at 3225 N. Central in Chicago, just north of Belmont.
A fight inside the bar spilled onto the street outside around 2:30 a.m. near Central Avenue and School Street, Police Commander Joseph Brennan told reporters Sunday morning.
Someone opened fire in the 5500 block of West School and struck two men and two women. The shooter then fled the scene in a dark-colored SUV, Brennan said.
Ricky Vera, 50, and Mario Pozuelos, 26, were shot in the head and body and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Mercedes Tavares, 24, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead, police and the medical examiner’s office said.
Another woman, 25, was taken to the same hospital in critical condition with a gunshot to her head.
Commander Brennan said that area CPD detectives were reviewing surveillance video of the incident. He did not specify which of the two bars in the area the fight occurred. Several shell casings were recovered from the scene as well.
No word on what caused the fight and shooting as CPD continues their investigation into the deadly incident. Police are asking anyone with information to contact CPDTip.com.
