Murder Suspect Shot And Killed By Police On Metra Train In Deerfield
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Police shot and killed a murder suspect late Friday night, after the man allegedly opened fire on a Metra train in north suburban Deerfield.
Illinois State Police said members of the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force were following a suspect in the murder of 34-year-old David T. Murrell in Evergreen Park late Friday night. The suspect was riding a Metra train, and the task force asked for assistance from Deerfield Police as the train stopped at the Lake Cook station in Deerfield around 10:30 p.m.
Police said, as the train was stopped, the suspect realized he was being followed by police, who had positioned themselves outside on the platform and inside the train car.
The suspect, who was armed with a handgun, allegedly opened fire on police on the train, police said. Officers returned fire, wounding the suspect, who was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect was identified as Jamal Parks, 32, of Gurnee.
Between 40 and 50 passengers were on the train at the time, but no one else was injured.
"I've heard gunshots before, but … you never expect to get on a train, and you know just heard gunshots all of a sudden. I thought a train was supposed to make you feel safe. It's the place where you least expect it. I didn't expect this at all," witness Simone Koetaan said. "We didn't know on the train exactly what was happening. We just heard gunfire, and that's where everyone just were running, and trying to hide."
Metra said the passengers were evacuated and taken to a nearby Home Depot to stay warm while waiting for rides home as police secured the scene.
An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.
Police said Parks was a suspect in the murder of David Murrell, who was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Walgreens in Evergreen Park on Thursday.
