CTA rider fatally stabs armed teen during apparent robbery attempt on Red Line, police say
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Another violent attack on public transit in Chicago early Monday left one person dead – and of the second time in three days, a victim decided to fight back against the people who were robbing him.
As CBS 2's Tara Molina reported Monday, police said the 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death was armed with a gun and was part of seven people who tried to rob someone on a Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train.
Just after 3 a.m., a man was riding the Red Line near 63rd Street, when the group of seven people approached him and one of them pulled out a gun, in an apparent attempt to rob the man, according to Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan.
"You have this individual on the train. You have this group of seven people. One of them ups what appears to be a handgun – based on the evidence given to us by CTA. At that point, the person who appears to be being robbed takes out a knife; Stabs the person with the gun. That individual is now deceased," Deenihan said.
Both the man with the knife and the group that confronted him fled the scene.
The teen who was stabbed ran for help and made it to the 6300 block of South Yale Avenue, where he collapsed. He was then taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where he later died.
"When that person is leaving, they place the gun somewhere, and one of the other individuals in the group that was with that individual picks up that apparent weapon and flees the scene," Deenihan said. "Everybody fled the scene."
Deenihan said detectives are seeking to identify everyone involved in the incident. No one has been arrested.
"These offenders need to be captured and brought to justice to send that message you will be held accountable for any crimes that occur on the CTA," said police Supt. David Brown.
This comes three days after another Red Line passenger used a knife to fend off a group of attackers on board a train.
Police have said, around 2 a.m. Friday, a 43-year-old man got on a Red Line train at the Addison Street station near Wrigley Field. While on the train, three people tried to take his cellphone and attacked him. At that point, the victim pulled out his own knife and stabbed one attacker in the back.
While the train was stopped at the North/Clybourn station, three attackers left the train – while a fourth got on and also attacked the victim. The victim stabbed that fourth attacker in the neck and fled the train, police said.
While fleeing the train, the fourth attacker stabbed the victim in the collarbone. The victim was then chased around the platform and through train cars at the North/Clybourn station by six people, according to police. During this phase of the attack, the victim was hit in the head with a broken glass bottle and some other objects by two of the six people -- while one of the attackers suffered a cut to his arm.
The victim was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious condition with multiple stab wounds and lacerations.
Five people have been charged in that attack.
Shawn Gullens, 20, Latoya Thomas, 22, Martinez Owens, 24, and Larone Williams, 36 are all charged with one felony count of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon and one felony count of aggravated battery to a transit employee. Vernon Holman, 52, is charged with one felony count of armed robbery and one felony count of battery with the use of a deadly weapon.
Chicago Transit Authority Vice President of Security Kevin Ryan does not recommend the kind of self-defense seen in each of these two incidents.
"What the Chicago police will tell you to do - do not fight back," Ryan said. "Be compliant. Do not put yourself in harm's way further."
A number of people have been in harms' way on our transit system this year. With a number of violent crimes reported on all lines, violent crime on the CTA is at a high.
But with a continued spike specifically on the Red Line, what is being done right now? We asked.
Ryan said there are up to 250 unarmed security guards patrolling the CTA system daily. We have been told in the past that the goal is 300.
There are 50 set posts for the unarmed guards, but Ryan said he gets on the phone with Chicago Police every morning and changes deployment from there -- with the goal being to get more guards monitoring lines overnight.
"The Red Line is the biggest line and has the most activity, so we concentrate on it," Ryan said.
Nothing new was announced Monday when it comes to safety or security on the CTA.
Brown said public perception and accountability are both important to fighting this crime.
The Mayor's office did not respond to requests for comment on these issues Monday.
