A man gunned down inside a popular Uptown Starbucks Thursday night has been identified as a 28-year-old from Chicago's Avalon Park neighborhood, officials said.
Sauvignon Watkins, of the 1100 block of East 82nd Street in Chicago, was killed inside the coffee shop during a triple shooting that wounded two other people, including a 12-year-old boy, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
Police said a masked gunman opened fire at about 8:15 p.m. inside the Starbucks, located the 4700 block of North Broadway Street, revealing Thursday night that the shooting may have been related to a nearby drug deal-gone-wrong.
Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene and a 12-year-old boy shot in the groin was taken to Lurie Children’s Hospital in critical condition, police said. The boy's condition had stabilized later Thursday night.
A wounded man, who police said was in his 20s, took himself to Weiss Hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
Chicago police Cmdr. Marc Buslik, of the 19th District, told reporters outside the Starbucks the shooting was possibly preceded by a botched drug deal between the shooter and Watkins. He said the deal might have occurred on Wilson Avenue east of Broadway Street.
"Appears the victim completed narcotics transaction outside, ran into Starbucks and was shot, later died," Ald. James Cappleman tweeted Thursday night.
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Watkins was chased into the Starbucks by the shooter, who was wearing a mask of some sort and dressed in dark clothing, Buslik said. The shooter opened fire inside the coffee shop, he said, fatally striking Watkins. The two others who were wounded were standing near him at the time, police said.
Buslik said police believe the wounded boy and man knew Watkins but did not elaborate on their relationship.
"We believe that the three victims did know each other," he said, adding that he did not know if either of the men were the child’s father.
A person who answered the phone at the Starbucks location calmly said he was not allowed to talk to media.
Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges said the company was "dismayed" by the shooting.
"We are working with law enforcement to better learn specifics of what transpired and support our customers and partners," he said. "We hope to provide updates as soon as we learn more.”
A statement on the company's website Thursday said the store would be closed Friday morning "as we focus on our local store partners, ensuring they have the support they need."
Kendra Nance said she was walking by the coffee shop with her boyfriend when they heard gunshots.
"I thought it was firecrackers," she said. "But when I seen people coming out, they started crying … I seen blood everywhere … I seen a dead body."
No one was in custody and Area North detectives were investigating.
