What should have been a sleepy graveyard shift at a Norwood Park 7-Eleven turned violent early Monday, when three armed men stormed the store, beat a 33-year-old employee, and made off with cash and cigarettes in an SUV getaway.
According to CBS Chicago, the robbery happened around 4:10 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 6375 N. Milwaukee Ave., just southeast of Devon Avenue. Police told the station that three men walked in with guns drawn and assaulted the worker, who was pistol-whipped during the attack.
Early-morning pattern across neighborhoods
The Norwood Park holdup is the latest in a run of late-night and early-morning break-ins and robberies that have triggered police alerts for businesses across the city. A CPD notice urging businesses to preserve surveillance footage was highlighted recently, warning owners to stay sharp outside regular rush hours.
What the police say and what was taken
Store staff told CBS Chicago that the crew grabbed cash from both registers, roughly $300 to $400, then scooped up Newport cigarettes before bolting to a waiting sport-utility vehicle. Grand Central Area detectives were assigned to the case, and no one was in custody early Monday, the outlet reported.
The store’s online listing shows that the Norwood Park 7-Eleven operates 24 hours a day, according to 7-Eleven.
Tips for witnesses
Investigators are asking anyone who saw the robbery or has relevant surveillance footage to contact the Chicago police so detectives can review video and follow up on leads. Similar alerts tied to earlier incidents have urged business owners to secure and save any video, and to report suspicious activity through the department’s tip portal, as noted by ABC7 Chicago.
