An antique firearm tucked into a customer's Halloween costume tumbled off a chair and fired when it hit the floor inside Wheaton Yard on Tuesday night, setting off a large police response to the restaurant and event space. No serious injuries were reported, and officials say there was no threat to the public.
According to NBC Chicago, the antique weapon discharged inside the venue during a gathering, with Wheaton Yard officials saying it fell off a chair and fired upon striking the floor. Officials with the venue said the firearm was part of a customer's Halloween costume. Wheaton police initiated a large response to the area once the gun went off, though police said there was no threat to the public.
Officers Flood East Front Street
The scene unfolded in the 100 block of East Front Street, where a large police presence gathered around 9:45 p.m., according to Patch. The outlet reports that Wheaton Yard is made up of two connected concepts, Front Street Kitchen and The Backyard, both operating under the same roof and property.
Police leaned on the venue's own security system to piece together what happened, investigating the incident using Wheaton Yard's surveillance footage, per the venue's account relayed to NBC Chicago. No serious injuries were reported from the discharge, and the same account notes that detectives have not released further details about how the firearm was configured or who was wearing it.
Venue Points to Its No-Guns Policy
Wheaton Yard emphasized to Patch that firearms are not allowed on the premises in the first place. Per the venue's statement, firearms are strictly prohibited at Wheaton Yard, and signage is posted accordingly at the entrance of the property. That policy appears to be at the center of the restaurant's response as it works with investigators to sort out how the costume piece made it inside and ended up firing on the floor.
As of Wednesday, no further information on potential charges was immediately available, and the investigation remains ongoing, the same NBC Chicago report notes. It remains unclear whether anyone could face charges tied to bringing the weapon into the venue or to the discharge itself.
Accidental Discharges Elsewhere Offer a Mixed Precedent
Accidental gun discharges inside restaurants are not unheard of nationally. In a 2016 incident at a Bennington, Vermont restaurant, a firearm reportedly went off by accident, with no injuries and no charges filed, according to the Bennington Banner. It is not yet known whether the Wheaton case will follow a similar path, since authorities have not said whether charges are being considered.
For now, Wheaton Yard's statement to Patch and the police department's own characterization, shared with NBC Chicago, agree that the public was never in danger and that no one suffered serious injuries. The investigation into exactly how the antique firearm ended up strapped into a customer's costume, and whether that violated the venue's posted policy, continues.
