A disgruntled former employee has shot and killed two men in a “targeted attack” at Navy Pier in Chicago, according to authorities.
Chicago Police responded to calls of an “active shooter” at around 1.18pm on Tuesday after a man stormed the popular tourist attraction and fired “several shots” at two individuals, said Police Chief of Patrol Jon Hein.
The unnamed shooter is believed to be a former employee who had worked as a sub-contractor on the pier and knew how to get access to the back loading dock area, Hein added.
Once inside, the gunman allegedly targeted two men in a “private office area.”
The victims – both men aged 47 and 51 who also worked for a contractor – were shot in the head.
They were both rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where they succumbed to their injuries, Hein said. Lamont Johnson, 51, was later identified by the medical examiner’s office as one of the victims.
Navy Pier, which has 70 different tenants, was immediately locked down after the shooting.
At the time of the attack, many families had been visiting the attraction, CBS News reported. Trent Halasek, from Cincinnati, Ohio, told the outlet he had been visiting the pier when he saw officers “in full riot and SWAT gear” descend.
Police said the suspect had already fled the scene.
Hein said the suspect has now been identified as a former worker who had his employment contract terminated on October 14.
Navy Pier’s Chief Operating Officer Brian Murphy said that the attack was a targeted “isolated incident” and that no one else on the pier had been in danger. It is not clear if weapon was recovered from the scene.
