A Chicago records store received death threats over Black, diverse music they sell

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CHICAGO, IL — The owners of Bridgeport Records say they received a violent threat on Saturday, Dec. 20, when a man used slurs and claimed he planned to bomb the South Side shop because it sells diverse music.

Police Confirm Bridgeport Records Death Threat Report After Caller Used Slurs and Threatened Violence

Jerry Morrison and Vick Lavender, who co-own the store, said the call came around 7:30 p.m. while they watched the Bears game with friends and customers. Morrison told the Chicago Sun‑Times that the caller targeted the shop’s focus on Black, Latino, and dance music.

“An older white man called and said he was on his way to kill us,” Morrison told the Sun‑Times. “This was someone who had been in the store, knew the layout, knew our music. He said he knew we sell Black music, rap music, Spanish music in Bridgeport, and he said we were going to die.”

Owners Evacuated the Shop as Police Tracked Caller’s Location

Morrison said he immediately contacted police. Officers were able to ping the caller’s location in the Bridgeport neighborhood. Because the threat involved a bomb, Morrison quickly cleared the store and sent customers home.

“We left so fast I left the lights and music on,” he said. “We just locked the door and left in the middle of a Bears game.”

Police confirmed the report but did not announce an arrest. The department has not released additional details about the investigation.

Despite Bridgeport Records Receiving a Death Threat, Owners Say Community Support Remains Strong

Although the threat was alarming, Morrison said it did not reflect the Bridgeport community or the support the shop has received since opening in July 2024. He said the store has become a gathering place for artists and young music fans.

“The neighborhood loves us. We have close ties with lots of prominent deejays and producers,” he said. “We’ve become a social hub in the music scene on the South Side.”

Lavender, a longtime house deejay and producer, and Morrison, a former labor leader, opened the store to create a “third space” for musicians and deejays. Morrison’s son, who is trans, also works at the shop.

Caller Accused Owners of Being “Fake South Siders”

The caller used several slurs uring the threat and accused the owners of not fitting his idea of the neighborhood.

“We’re not a typical white rock ’n’ roll record shop,” Morrison said. “He was probably irritated that he saw young Black and Latino kids in and out of our shop.”

Morrison said this was the first threat of its kind. He believes some people feel more comfortable expressing hate.

“These cranks, they’re emboldened,” he told the Sun‑Times. “There are some folks who just don’t like change, and these days, they feel emboldened to say the darkest sh- – on their minds.”

He added that the community will not tolerate threats against a space built to uplift local artists.

“We just want people to know that this is not going to be tolerated in the community,” he said.