Bronzeville Liquor Store Security Guard Questioned By Police, Identified As Man Who Killed Chicago Grandmother Bobbye Johnson

By Jackie Kostek and Charlie De Mar

CHICAGO (CBS) — A security guard was being questioned by police late Thursday after a shootout outside a Bronzeville liquor store left a Chicago grandmother dead.

CBS 2 has learned the security guard, who sources said fired the shot that killed Bobbye Johnson, barely had any training. Police late Thursday confirmed he was being questioned by Area One detectives.

Breaking: The Security Guard involved in a shootout on 35th street earlier this week is being questioned by police.

Sources say one of his stray bullets hit and killed Bobbye Johnson as she left the bank. She was 55. https://t.co/oZ2eGpnsvF pic.twitter.com/IrLTzal7Se

— Charlie De Mar (@CharlieDeMar) February 4, 2022

CBS 2’s Jackie Kostek spoke to the security guard’s boss.

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The owner of Bounty TAC Force, which employed security guard involved in the shooting, said the guard had just been hired and had worked about 10 shifts. The owner confirmed his employee, Victor Brown, was the security guard working outside Wood’s Food and Liquor at 35th Street and Indiana Avenue.

Meanwhile Thursday, CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar visited the sanctuary at St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in South Shore, which will now forever have an empty seat. Johnson sang in the choir there. On Sundays, you could find her at the microphone.

“Very engaging, very talented,” Scott Onque, pastor of the church. “All of the pictures you’re going to see, you’re going to find her smiling.”

Johnson was a friend to Pastor Onque.

“She just did not deserve to die in the streets of Chicago,” he said.

Johnson was shot and killed Tuesday as she stepped out of the Chase Bank at 3500 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. She was caught in the crossfire of a shootout happening three whole blocks away between a liquor store security guard and another man.

“It’s just such a disregard of life,” Onque said.

A police source said the incident started with an argument between Brown and a man outside the liquor store on Monday.

Police said that man returned Tuesday, he and Brown got into another argument, and the man shot Brown once in the leg. As the man ran away east on 35th Street, the police report said Brown shot in his direction.

“He was laying there on the ground and just shooting down the block,” said witness Stevie McDuffey.

McDuffey spoke to CBS 2 Tuesday, describing Brown’s shooting as reckless.

“He could’ve shot anybody that came out of any one of those stores down there,” he said. “He could’ve hit anybody.”

The 34-year-old Brown has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2005 involving armed robbery and domestic battery. The owner of the security company said he did do a background check but did not know Brown had a record.

“When you think about the recklessness that he was just shooting – and he reloaded,” Pastor Onque said.

The owner said Brown came in with standard 20- and 40-hour security training certificates.

Police are still looking for the man who fired the first shot.

Funeral arrangements are pending for Johnson.

Source: ChicagoCBS