Four People Killed In Forest Park CTA Blue Line Train Shooting

Unsafe Premises - September 2, 2024

Suspect Taken Into Custody After Four People Killed In Shooting On CTA Blue Line Train In Forest Park

Four People Killed In Forest Park CTA Blue Line Train Shooting

FOREST PARK, ILLINOIS (September 2, 2024) – Four people have tragically died in a shooting on the CTA Blue Line train in Forest Park.

Cook County officials say that the incident took place around 5:27 a.m. on Monday. Forrest Park police received a 911 call that multiple people were shot at the Forest Park CTA Blue Line station along Desplaines Avenue.

When officers arrived, they came across four shooting victims. Three were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fourth died after being taken to Loyola University Medical Center.

The police have taken one suspect into custody. They do not believe that there is a continued threat to the public.

Liability For CTA Train Assaults

There has been a sharp rise in the number of assaults and violent crime involving public transportation over the years. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, there were roughly 930 assaults in all transit modes in the year 2012. By the year 2022, there were nearly 18 assaults across all transit modes. Transit agencies should take a number of measures in order to prevent assaults and keep passengers safe.

  • Transit agencies can deploy uniformed officers or security personnel to act as a deterrent.
  • Transit agencies can install panic buttons that contact law enforcement.
  • Transit agencies should make sure that train stations, stops, and parking lots are well lit.
  • Transit authorities should take steps to avoid overcrowding.

Transit agencies have a legal obligation to protect passengers from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes protection from assaults and other forms of violent crime. When a transit agency fails to take reasonable measures in order to protect passengers, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. A transit authority may have been negligent in a number of different ways when any person is killed in a train shooting.

  • The train may have had a lack of security personnel.
  • The train may have had poorly trained security officials.
  • Train officials may have neglected prior security incidents and failed to take appropriate actions to prevent future attacks.
  • Train officials may have failed to implement proper screening procedures to prevent weapons from being brought on board.

Shootings are often highly preventable on public transportation. They tend to involve situations where transit officials fail to take appropriate actions after several different security failures. When a transit agency knows (or should have known) that there is a threat to their passengers, they must take action. The family of any person that died in an assault on a CTA train may be able to seek some measure of justice through a wrongful death claim.

Investigating CTA Train Assaults And Shootings

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the families of the passengers killed in this heinous attack. This was a senseless tragedy that should have never taken place. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. The CTA needs to be doing more to protect its passengers.

Do you need more information about a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train shooting? Our team of train safety advocates is here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that train passengers are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.