USA: On Labor Day, a mass shooting on the Blue Line of a train in Chicago left four people dead

Four people were killed in a mass shooting on a CTA Blue Line train in Forest Park, Chicago, on Monday morning (September 2). According to Forest Park Deputy Police Chief Christopher Chin, the victims were on a Blue Line train heading toward the Forest Park terminus when they were shot around 5:30 a.m. Three of the victims died at the scene, while the fourth died at a nearby hospital.

According to authorities, the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident that posed no threat to the public. Authorities believe the shooting involved a single suspect and that the shooter did not know the victims. The victims were believed to be homeless people traveling by train.

“It's obviously shocking. You know, it's unusual for a mass shooting like this to happen here, especially so close to a location that we're investigating on a holiday. So it's justified that people feel unsafe,” Chin said.

He continued, “It's a horrible situation. It's definitely something you don't want to wake up to. It's a Monday morning on a holiday. Everyone should be enjoying their time off, spending time with their families. It's Labor Day, so it's horrible to actually have to be here to sort out a situation like this.”

The suspected shooter was tracked down by CTA security personnel and Forest Park Police using surveillance footage. The individual was arrested on a CTA Pink Line train and a weapon was seized.

“Surveillance video is critical to many of our investigations, especially this one,” Chin noted. Following the incident, Blue Line service between Forest Park and Austin was temporarily suspended.

The CTA released a statement condemning the violence: “Although this was an isolated incident, this heinous and egregious act of violence should never have occurred, especially not on a public transit train.”

“As soon as this incident was reported, the CTA immediately deployed resources to assist Forest Park Police in their investigation, including reviewing all possible surveillance camera footage, which proved vital in assisting local law enforcement,” the statement said.

“We commend both the Forest Park Police Department for their thorough and cooperative efforts to provide information to partner agencies, as well as the Chicago Police Department, whose quick actions led to the arrest of a suspect in this matter,” it said.

(With contributions from agencies)