CHICAGO — Top Chicago police officials on Monday addressed commuters’ unease about CTA travel after the latest stabbing incident on a South Side Red Line train resulted in death.
The fatal stabbing comes just days after another stabbing on the city’s other end of the line.
As CPD on Monday highlighted a drop in shootings and homicides compared to last year, crime onboard CTA trains have many raising questions.
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“We are working to make communities safer,” said Chicago police Supt. David Brown.
Based on CTA security video, investigators say a group of people went up to a man near 63rd around 3 a.m. CPD Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan says a man may have pulled a gun on a would-be victim.
“At that point, the person who appears to be being robbed takes out a knife and stabs that person with the gun. That person is now deceased,” Deenihan said. “When that person is leaving, they place the gun somewhere and one of the others in the group picks up that apparent weapon and flees the scene.”
The victim was able to run to the 6300 block of S. Yale.
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The victim, who suffered stab wounds to the chest, was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
“(Authorities) caught a lot of really good video that’s going to tie this case up,” said CTA’s vice president of security Kevin Ryan.
On Monday, Chicago police issued a community alert for two young men who robbed two women at gunpoint last week at the 95th Street Red Line Station. Also, last week, a 42-year-old man was attacked and stabbed by a group of people while on a train on Friday. Five people were charged Sunday in that attack.
Despite the arrests, CTA riders say they feel unsafe.
“Crime is getting worse and everybody’s getting stabbed on the Red Line,” one rider said. “Something needs to be done about the Red Line because that’s the way people commute and go to work in the morning and they have to fear for their safety.”
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While CTA says there are over 250 guards on the system, riders say more security needs to be implemented.
“I understand their complaints and concerns,” Ryan said of commuters.
Brown responded, saying, “We think two things have to happen. Number one: Our presence has to go up in coordination with the CTA. Number two: these offenders need to be captured and brought to justice to send the message that you will be held accountable for any crimes committed on the CTA.”