Alexander C. Kazanowski, 25, known to friends as "Xander" (sometimes spelled "Zander"), was found unresponsive with head injuries on West Belmont Avenue near North Harding Avenue in Avondale, on Chicago's Northwest Side, at about 3:20 a.m. on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. He died four days later, on Saturday, March 28, 2026. Area 5 detectives of the Chicago Police Department investigated.
Police said Kazanowski was found lying on the ground outside 3942 W. Belmont Ave. Detectives learned that earlier he had been "forcibly removed" from the Tune Up Bar, 3910 W. Belmont Ave., after a fight inside, according to a police report cited by the Sun-Times. He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition and was pronounced dead at 3:31 p.m. on March 28. An autopsy found he died of blunt head trauma from an assault, and the Cook County medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide.
He lived in the 4900 block of West Nelson Avenue, about three-tenths of a mile from where he was found.
On April 7, police released photos and video of four people, three men and a woman, seen entering the Tune Up Bar that night, and asked the public to help identify them so detectives could interview them. Cook County Crime Stoppers offered a reward of $10,000 and canvassed the busy stretch of Belmont on the same day as his memorial service. "Apparently, there was some altercations or some words that were said within... he decided to call it a night," said Paul Rutherford of Crime Stoppers. "Just having a beer and was going to go home, and never made it home." Detectives asked anyone with information to call (312) 746-6614 and cite RD # JK192078. A community post in September said no arrests had been made.
Kazanowski was a young father. Rutherford said he had a newborn on the way, and friends raised money for his children. Block Club Chicago described him as a former Rogers Park vintage shop owner, and national outlets reported that he had worked as a model. "In this case, we definitely need to know exactly what happened to Xander," Rutherford said.
Belmont Avenue through Avondale is a busy commercial street lined with bars, restaurants, shops and apartments above storefronts. At closing time on a weeknight, bar staff, other patrons, rideshare drivers and neighbors living above the street may have seen the fight, the moment he was put out of the bar, or who followed him outside.
Alexander's death came as Chicago's violence continued to fall. The city recorded 416 homicides in 2025, the fewest in about 60 years, after about 590 in 2024 and about 800 in 2021, the deadliest year in a quarter century. Chicago police reported clearing 56 percent of homicides in 2024, though that figure counts cases closed without charges, which means many families are still waiting for an arrest.
No arrest, criminal charge or court case connected to the death of Alexander C. Kazanowski could be found in news archives or public records. Months later, there is no public sign that anyone has been held responsible. Anyone who was inside the Tune Up Bar in the early hours of March 24, or who recognizes the four people in the police photos, may be able to help. Even a small detail, such as a name overheard, a car seen leaving the area or a conversation remembered, can help detectives move a case forward. Anyone with information can call the Chicago Police Department's anonymous tip line at (833) 408-0069 or submit a tip online at CPDTIP.com, or contact Cook County Crime Stoppers at (800) 535-STOP (7867).
