Fire Erupts After Chicago Store is Robbed

May 20, 2015
Investigators have not determined if the robbery and the fire are related.

A fire broke out at South Side grocery store following an armed robbery Tuesday night.

About 9:20 p.m. Tuesday, two armed men entered a grocery store in the 7500 block of South May Street as the store was closing. The two gunmen announced a robbery and forced everybody in the store into a back room, police said.

The gunmen took an unknown amount of cash and fled the store, police said. Those inside the back room then left the store, spotted smoke coming from the store and called the fire department.

Crews arrived at Windy City Supermarket, 7550 S. May St., shortly afterwards and called for a still-and-box alarm. The fire was struck out about 9:45 p.m. Two people were treated for non-fire related injuries on scene and released, fire officials said. Police said nobody was injured.

Fire and police officials said they were investigating the cause of the fire early Wednesday and could not say if it was related to the robbery.

No one was in custody in connection with the robbery as of Wednesday morning, police said.

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©2015 the Chicago Tribune

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