In a tragic incident on Labor Day, four passengers were shot and killed on a Chicago-area train early morning, as reported by Illinois authorities.
The shooting occurred on a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line train near the Forest Park station, a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, around 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
According to Forest Park Police Department Deputy Chief Chris Chin, three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and the fourth died from their injuries at a local hospital. The victims’ identities have not yet been released, and authorities are still gathering additional information about them. It has been suggested that the victims were homeless and sleeping on the train when the shooting occurred.
The shooter fled the scene but was eventually apprehended on a CTA Pink Line train. A firearm was found during the arrest. Police believe the attack was an isolated incident, and no additional threats to the public have been identified.
Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins expressed his dismay at the tragic event, noting that the train station has been the site of numerous emergency calls in recent years. He advocated for increased public safety resources and law enforcement personnel to address the area’s ongoing challenges.
The CTA also condemned the shooting as a “heinous and egregious act of violence” and pledged full cooperation with the ongoing investigation. The agency expressed condolences to the victims’ families and emphasized the importance of safety on public transportation systems.
Authorities are currently reviewing CTA surveillance footage to piece together the events that led up to the shooting. The investigation continues, and prosecutors have 48 hours to formally charge the suspect in custody.
This shooting adds to the growing number of mass shootings in the United States, with 381 incidents reported so far in 2024, according to the Gun Violence Archive. As the investigation continues, local officials and law enforcement are calling for increased measures to prevent such tragedies and ensure the safety of public transit users.
With input from FOX News, CNN and New York Times.
