2 Men Shot At Each Other Outside Music Box Club In Niles: Police

NILES, IL — Police said a second man has been charged with firing a gun outside a Milwaukee Avenue nightclub in September was arrested last week. No one was struck by gunfire in the incident, which police said involved a fight inside the club that led to at least two men shooting at each other in the parking lot.

Anthony Burns, 24, of the 5200 block of West Van Buren Street, was taken into custody Oct. 27 in Maywood and charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a class 1 felony, according to Niles police.

Using a combination of video surveillance and social media, detectives determined Burns pulled the trigger during an incident shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sept. 22 outside the Music Box Club, 7867 N. Milwaukee Ave., according to Cmdr. Robert Tornabene. Police initially said about six shots were fired toward the club from the parking lot that morning.

On Sept. 30, 20-year-old Willie Montgomery-Wise, of North Chicago, was charged with aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon and criminal damage to in connection with the same incident, Tornabene said. The felony charges followed his arrest by Chicago police on a separate gun charge within hours of the shooting.

Tornabene said detectives believe Burns and Montgomery were shooting at each other, but they are not sure why. He said investigators are still looking to speak to other people who may be involved.

"The motive is not apparently clear, except that there was some type of dispute that occurred inside the bar and moved outside prior to the shooting," he said.

Montgomery-Wise and Burns have each been ordered held at Cook County Jail in lieu of the $15,000 cash portions of their bond, according to the sheriff's office. Burns' next court appearance is Nov. 18, while Montgomery-Wise is due back in Skokie on Dec. 5.

The village's liquor commission fined the ownership of the Music Box Club $3,000 and limited its hours of operation following the shooting.

Earlier: Niles Club Fined, Ordered To Close At 2 A.M. After Shots Fired »