CHICAGO — A fast-food cashier had little or no contact with two men he shot dead in the restaurant’s dining room Monday night, prosecutors said as they filed charges in the case.
Mehdi Medellel, 42, was arrested Wednesday by Judge Caroline Glennon-Goodman on two counts of first-degree murder.
In a written offering from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, veteran prosecutor Anne McCord Rodgers said the cook at JJ Fish & Chicken, 7828 South Western Avenue, Medellel was seen handling a gun in the kitchen about 20 minutes before the shooting.
About 10:14 p.m., a 57-year-old man walked into the restaurant and began showing Medellel some items he had in a bag and suitcase, Rodgers said. After briefly entering the kitchen, Medellel allegedly locked the back exit and entered the dining room with a firearm held out in front of him.
When he saw the gun, the man with the briefcase raised his hands and backed away. Medellel followed him and fired a single shot that struck the man in the head, according to Rodgers.
Medellel then went to a 56-year-old man sitting at a table in the dining room and also shot him in the head. According to Rodgers, Medellel had no interaction with the second victim before the murder.
When he heard the gunshots, the cook ran out the back door and called 911. Medellel allegedly fled the scene, but Chicago police officers arrested him nearby a short time later. He led police to a dumpster, where officers found a firearm believed to be the murder weapon.
