Bieu Hoang always warned his workers against taking risks when he owned the Subway shop along Western Avenue on Chicago's Near Northwest Side.

The restaurant in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood had been robbed twice in recent years, said Hoang, who always advised his workers to just "give them what they want."

One of those employees was Lyn Ward, who was working behind the counter of the shop at 1129 N. Western Ave. when an armed bandit entered shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday and announced a robbery, Chicago police said.

The man shot Ward in the neck, ordered another employee to open the cash register, grabbed an unknown amount of cash and fled, police said.

Ward, 57, was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital and died Friday morning, officials said.

Detectives have recently been looking into a string of robberies in the area of women walking alone at night, but police don't believe the fatal holdup at the Subway fits the pattern. Police were canvassing the area on Friday.

Hoang, who no longer owns the Subway, said his wife yelled when she heard the news of Ward's killing, "Lyn, Lyn, Lyn died."

Hoang returned to the shop Friday in the aftermath of Ward's death and said he hired her about five years ago. She had lost her previous job and come into a coffee shop he owned on Lincoln Avenue looking for work. A position was not available there, but he and his wife offered her the job at the Subway shop.

"She was a good person,'' said Hoang, tears in his eyes. "She was a very good employee. I don't know why they shot her. She was beautiful.''

Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner contributed.

rsobol@tribune.com jbullington@tribune.com