Popular Chicago nightclub will shut down

October 29, 2007 (WLS) -- A popular Chicago nightclub, the scene of repeated violence captured on videotape, had its liquor license revoked and will soon be out of business.

The city's action comes less than two weeks after an I-Team report.

When somebody squeezed off five gunshots last summer, the city was already trying to shut down Chromium for liquor license violations, wrongdoing that had nothing to do with the violence that disrupted quality of life for people who live around it.

But it is a cumbersome process for the city to revoke a liquor license - too slow to save the life of 28-year old Omari Houston, shot in the back just after he left the nightclub as Chicago police officers were already on the scene just down the block. Houston's killer got away.

"It hurts. It is a shame because of the type of person that he was, it should have rang a lot of alarms," said the victim's cousin, Chevon Noble.

On Monday, it did. Two months after the killing and two weeks after the I-Team first broadcast disturbing images of street violence, Chromium's owner and Chicago licensing officials reached a shutdown agreement.

Scott Bruner, director of the Chicago Department of Business Affairs said the owners admitted to operating with an illegitimate license.

"This is a culmination of different things. There's been a lot of community concern about the operation there. I think they felt that they did not want to go forward with more litigation. And it was just in their best interest at this point to enter into an agreement with the city," Bruner said.

Those who live near the club are delighted.

"Now the neighborhood will go back to being normal again. My friends have told me, 'Well, why don't you move out if it's so dangerous?' Well, why don't they shut this thing down? And they are," said West Loop resident Gary Clyman.

"It's a wonderful thing that they're gonna be closed down," said West Loop business owner Lucia Maffei with a smile and a sigh of relief. "They're a hazard to the neighborhood."

No one is happier than Kathy Kozan, the so-called video vigilante. For the past two years, she videotaped the violence and has been on a crusade to close down the club. Kozan built a Web site that features the Lake Street videos.

In the end, it wasn't even the violence that did in Chromium. It was the liquor licensee, Jehad Shehade of west suburban Addison. Chicago officials say she has admitted holding the license for husband Tony Perez because he was ineligible, and that is illegal.

It's not over just yet. As part of the agreement, Chromium will be allowed to stay open until December 3 to honor some promotion and entertainment contracts.

City officials say that is a small accommodation in return for Chromium giving up its license. Had the club fought it, the process could have dragged on for years.

Visit Kozan's Web site, Lake Street Lookout

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