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Chatham dance studio looks to relocate after shooting
The owner of a Chatham dance studio, where dancers came under fire this weekend, is now looking for a change.
CHICAGO - The owner of a Chatham dance studio, where dancers came under fire last weekend, is now looking for a change.
It’s all about the footwork at the Astronaut Fleet Studio along 79th Street. For two years, it has attracted hundreds of teens wanting to enhance their dance skills.
RELATED: 14-year-old girl among three shot at dance studio on Chicago's South Side
On Sunday, however, that freedom was stolen after three teenagers were shot as bullets entered the building. The teens are not believed to be the intended targets.
“As much as I do to keep them off the street, into a safe haven, makes me feel like I failed them. I could have did something different,” said Doncell Richard from Astronaut Fleet Dance Entertainment.
Historically, some of the most successful Black-owned businesses were located in Chatham. Chance the Rapper, Thomas Dorsey and Eugene Sawyer all resided in the neighborhood.
Longtime “Chatemites” say things have certainly changed. Michael Walton has lived in Chatham for 50 years. He blames senseless crime on fatherless households, immature mindsets and public housing projects.
Walton says troubled youth need consistency.
“You gotta show them on a daily basis, get the songs out of their head, teach them something, every time,” said Walton.
Two teens have been released from the hospital, and one is still hospitalized.