A 43-year-old father of four was shot to death while working as a security guard at a Family Dollar on the West Side of Chicago Friday afternoon, according to police.
Loyce Wright was inside the store when someone approached him before taking out a gun and opening fire just before 1:40 p.m. He was shot multiple times before being transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wright’s family told ABC 7 Chicago that he worked security for about a year at the store, and they were worried about his safety.
“He never I think focused on the danger of it all, like we all did,” his sister Robin Wright told ABC 7. “We were scared for him.”
So far no one is in custody for the death.
A spokesperson for Family Dollar issued the following statement about the fatal shooting:
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred at one of our Family Dollar stores in Chicago. We are cooperating with local authorities as they investigate the crime. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further comment will be offered at this time.”
This incident comes just days after the Chicago City Council voted 42-7 on Wednesday to crack down on dollar stores across Chicago, saying the increasing number of stores have created a nuisance in West and South Side neighborhoods.
The vote, led by Ald. Matt O’Shea, was delayed nearly a month after lobbyists for Dollar Tree Inc., which owns Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, fought against the proposal, according to WTTW.
Now, new dollar stores cannot open within one mile of another dollar store owned by the same company. These stores are also now required to post a placard with contact information for the store’s operators so nearby residents can register complaints with the store.
Chicago city officials have fined dollar stores more than $600,000 for more than 3,300 infractions since 2017, according to a February investigation by Block Club Chicago. In addition, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined dollar stores nearly $1 million since 2015. The violations included employee exposure to slipping, fire and electrical hazards, blocked emergency exits, unsanitary working conditions, and failure to provide employee records to OSHA.
