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Victim Recognizes Crime-Spree Suspects Sought In Clerk's Death

(CBS) -- We're getting more information tonight about a spree of crimes that stretched from the city to the suburbs yesterday.  Now police think the suspects' crimes may go back months.

CBS 2's Lauren Victory is in south suburban Summit, where one man knows the suspects all too well.

What used to be a simple chore for Michael Airhart is anything but these days. Armed robbers stole from him at the Shell on 87th and State in February.

"I'm sitting there and crying saying, you ain't got to kill us, you aint got to kill us," he says.

When Airhart saw surveillance images on the news Wednesday night, "I said, 'That's them!'" he says.

Chicago police are now investigating the possibility that that winter robbery is connected to Wednesday's violent spree spreading from the city to the suburbs.

Detectives say two men shot a 27-year-old and stole his car in Calumet Heights, gunning down a bicyclist in South Chicago and hitting a car on Lake Shore Drive.

The pair then robbed two gas stations in Summit, killing Ghasson Jreis before speeding away. Faithful customers paid their respects to the clerk this morning.

"He was really outgoing, really friendly, always had something really nice to say about you," Addy Cruz says.

Airhart hopes sharing his story leads to arrests. The deadly ending only adds to his trauma.

"What gas station, what restaurant, who's next?" he says.

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