Illinois police have released shocking new details about the mass shooting on a Chicago-area train that left four homeless people dead.
Officers said surveillance footage showed the four victims were likely sleeping in different areas of the train and that no fights or other confrontations occurred prior to the shooting at the CTA Blue Station in Forest Park, Illinois.
According to NBC Chicago, they have also identified an eyewitness through the CCTV video and are working to locate the person.
Officers arrived on the scene Monday morning after a 911 call and removed passengers from the train before they boarded.
They discovered four victims with gunshot wounds. Three of them were pronounced dead at the scene and a fourth died in hospital. According to the police, all the victims appeared to be homeless people who were traveling on the train.
Officers said surveillance footage showed the four victims were likely sleeping in different parts of the train and that there were no fights or other confrontations prior to the shooting at the Forest Park CTA Blue Station (pictured) in Forest Park, Illinois.
The photo above shows officers investigating the scene of the shooting that left four homeless people dead.
Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins stands outside the Forest Park Blue Line train station in Forest Park, Illinois, which remains closed, after giving a press conference about four people who were fatally shot on the train Monday morning, September 2, 2024.
A suspect fled the scene but was later arrested on a CTA Pink Line train in Chicago, as reported by ABC 7. The suspect was tracked down with the help of surveillance footage.
A firearm was found during the arrest, police said, but it is unclear whether this was the weapon used in the attack.
Officials said the incident appears to be isolated and random in nature. They said there is no further threat to the public.
“The victims were all passengers on the train early this morning,” said Forest Park Deputy Chief Chris Chin.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) said in a statement: “While this was an isolated incident, this horrific and egregious act of violence should never have occurred, including on a public transit train.
“As soon as this matter was reported, CTA immediately deployed resources to assist the Forest Park Police Department in their investigation. This included reviewing all available security camera footage. This proved to be critical to local law enforcement.”
Police responded to a 911 call Monday morning about a shooting at the Forest Park CTA Blue Line station at 711 Desplaines Avenue
Police cars from the Elmwood Park Police Department, Berwyn Police Department and Cicero Police Department are parked in the parking lot of the Forest Park Blue Line train station in Forest Park, Illinois, after four people were fatally shot on the train early in the morning of Monday, September 2, 2024.
The CTA added: “We commend both the Forest Park Police Department for their thorough and collaborative efforts to provide information to partner agencies, and the Chicago Police Department, whose swift actions led to the arrest of a suspect in this case.
“CTA will continue to cooperate with local law enforcement as part of this ongoing investigation.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Forest Park police at 708-366-2425.
Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins said the shooting was an “exception” but said emergency responders are regularly sent to the Blue Line station and more security is needed.
Less than a week ago, the CTA announced it would implement an artificial intelligence program that would alert police when weapons are found at train stations.
Chicago crime statistics show that the city will hit its highest murder rate in a decade in 2023. Last year, 617 people were killed, the highest number of any major city in the country.
Forest Park Deputy Police Chief Christopher Chin holds a press conference outside the CTA Forest Park station following a shooting, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, in Forest Park
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