Chicago police detectives have arrested a suspect in the Omari
Houston homicide case. Houston was shot and killed just after 3
a.m. last Aug. 19 near Chromium Nightclub, 817 W. Lake.
Bryant
Buckhanan was arrested Jan. 9 in the 200 block of North Pulaski
Road, according to Commander Ronald Sodini of the 12th District,
which covers the area where the homicide took place.
Sodini said detectives spotted Buckhanan driving a vehicle,
recognized him and gave chase. Buckhanan curbed his vehicle and
tried to escape on foot but police were able to apprehend him.
A bond for Buckhanan's release has been set at $1.5 million. He
is being charged with first-degree murder, and is scheduled to
appear in court on Feb. 26. Sodini said Buckhanan has multiple
addresses in both Chicago and the suburbs.
A police department spokesman, Officer Marcel Bright, said
Buckhanan had 13 prior arrests on his record, including 10 for
possession of controlled substances.
Kathy Kozan, a neighborhood resident who has gained widespread
attention for posting video of anti-social behavior on Lake
Street online at lakeandhalsted.com, said the homicide "never
should have happened."
"I'm so aggravated," Kozan said. "The warning signs were all
there."
Chromium Nightclub was closed by Chicago's Department of
Business Affairs and Licensing on Dec. 3 after its owner agreed
to voluntarily have the club's license revoked.
The club's run in the West Loop was tumultuous. Neighborhood
residents had complained about late-night noise, lax security
and violence outside of the club, including multi-person fights
that spilled into the street as well as the Houston shooting.
Video from the morning of the homicide is still on Kozan's Web
site. Approximately one-fourth the way through the clip, a dog
starts barking and then five shots ring out in quick succession.
Eric Sedler, the president of the West Loop Community
Organization, said his organization was relieved an arrest had
been made and Chromium was gone.
"Chromium was attracting a certain element of people. We knew
this person didn't live in the neighborhood, and they weren't
hanging out in the West Loop," Sedler said. "They were there
because of Chromium. We saw [the murder] as an isolated incident
related to Chromium."
Attempts to reach family members of Omari Houston were
unsuccessful as of press time.
