A Chicago man says a woman pointed a gun at the back of his head inside a popular South Side lounge in December 2024, and he is now pressing the Chicago Police Department for answers while weighing legal action. Will Jones said he has not returned to the Family Den in more than a year, and that watching the surveillance video later completely changed how he thought about the night. The episode has revived questions about bar security and whether police seriously followed up after the footage was turned over.
Video from December 2024 appears to show a woman stepping between two men during an argument and aiming a handgun at the back of Jones’ head before staff broke things up, according to CBS Chicago. Jones told the station he did not realize at the time that it was a gun and described the moment as traumatizing once he saw the footage. His attorney, Lakesha Murdaugh, told CBS the video was given to police and urged investigators to track down “the aggressor with the firearm,” adding that Jones is considering legal action.
The Family Den’s owner told reporters that security did step in but that the woman got away after someone in her group distracted the guard, and staff “refused to chase someone with a weapon,” according to the coverage. The owner also said the gun had been concealed and that the club now uses metal‑detection wands. In a separate article, CBS Chicago reported that gunfire shattered the lounge’s front windows in May 2025; “No injuries were reported, Chicago police said,” the station noted.
Longtime South Side Spot Under The Microscope
The Family Den on Stony Island Avenue is a decades‑old neighborhood lounge known for Bears‑day crowds, live music, and die‑hard regulars, according to Chicago magazine. That local status helps explain why a weapon appearing on video inside the room has rattled patrons and neighbors. Owners say they have tightened screening with new equipment, while customers and legal advocates are now asking whether more should have happened on the night of the incident itself.
Why The Case Is Getting Fresh Attention
Jones says he only realized how close the encounter came to turning deadly after watching the surveillance footage, and his push for answers is unfolding as public concern about safety in nightlife spaces keeps building. City crime data compiled on the City of Chicago data portal shows that shootings and firearm incidents have remained a stubborn public‑safety problem in recent years, which helps explain why a confrontation inside a neighborhood lounge is now being dissected by both neighbors and attorneys…