Employee shot, critically wounded by robbers at jewelry store in Oak Lawn

OAK LAWN, Ill. (CBS) — An employee was shot twice in the robbery of a jewelry store in Oak Lawn Friday afternoon.

Around 2 p.m., Oak Lawn police were called for the robbery at Reichman Jewelers, at 4439 W. 95th St.

Police said three masked men went into the store and drew their guns. The perps pushed through the gems and the diamonds – forcing their way from the front to the back of the store. They left a trail of broken glass and blood behind.

A security guard stood upfront – intended to be a deterrent to crime, but not this time. The three offenders took him on – strapped with weapons – and they disarmed him. Afterward, the robbers began breaking glass display cases and stealing jewelry, police said.

A store employee came out from the rear of the store and confronted the robbers, who shot him twice, police said.

The robbers continued through the store – a family-owned jewelry business and an institution on 95th Street in Oak Lawn that has been in operation since 1908.

Oak Lawn police would not provide any information on what was stolen. They also did not have any new details late Friday on the condition of the security guard or the employee who was shot.

Some neighbors told CBS 2’s Sabrina Franza the jewelry store has been robbed before – and the security guard was brought on after the earlier robberies. The neighbors said none of the previous robberies were as bad as the one on Friday.

One of the robbers was wearing a dark hoodie, another a white T-shirt, police said. A clothing description for the third robber was not available.

The robbers fled west down an alley in a silver sedan, of which police captured a surveillance image.

We tried getting closer to the crime scene look for video ourselves, but police near the scene pushed us back.

Later, we checked to find all the neighboring offices were closed. Reichman Jewelers itself was also closed – with a sign reading that it would be closed “indefinitely, until further notice.”

The store employee was shot in the chest and wrist and was taken to an area hospital in critical, but stable condition. Advocate Christ Medical Center is right across the street from the jewelry store, but it is not clear if the employee was taken there.

Oak Lawn police are asking homeowners to check their video surveillance systems for anything captured between 1 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. They are looking for information about the getaway car, which is believed to be a silver 2014-2017 Chrysler 200.  

Anyone with information is asked to call Oak Lawn police at (708) 907-4051, or text tips to (708) 613-8477.