Two men were shot, one fatally, on a CTA Pink Line train in the Loop early Tuesday during a dispute with a knife-wielding man who took a gun from one of them and shot them both, Chicago police say.
The two men, ages 23 and 44, were on the train in the 100 block of North Wells Street around 1:20 a.m. when they began arguing with another man, police said in a statement.
When the argument turned physical, one of the men pulled a gun, police said. The man with the knife then “gained control of the weapon and discharged” it at the two men, according to officials.
A witness who was riding the same train told responding officers he heard the man say, “I shot them, but they tried to rob me,” according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
The older man was shot in his abdomen and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said in their statement. The younger man was taken to the same hospital for a gunshot wound to his wrist, police said. He was in fair condition.
Police have not charged anyone in the attack, saying in their statement that no one was in custody.
The CTA did not provide any details about the incident, but said in a statement there was a “disturbance” on the train.
The fatal shooting comes after several high-profile attacks on the CTA. Citing a November attack on a Blue Line train, in which a man poured gasoline on a 26-year-old woman and set her on fire, the administration of President Donald Trump demanded the CTA implement new security measures or face a cut in funding.
Last week, the CTA announced it was adding officers to its Chicago Police Department transit detail, increasing officers by as many as 120 more per day. But the federal government said the plan was insufficient, and gave the CTA until March 19 to submit a revised plan that addresses the Federal Transit Administration’s concerns. Otherwise, the CTA will lose up to $50 million in funding.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has defended the CTA’s current security plan, arguing last week that it is “comprehensive” with wraparound services, similar to what’s been used to lower the city’s homicide rate.
The number of reported crimes on the CTA is lower than it was last year, according to a police department transit crime dashboard. But certain violent crimes are happening more often this year, including murders, shootings and aggravated batteries.
Hours after Tuesday’s attack, members of the Violence Interrupters nonprofit met outside the CTA’s Sox–35th station to patrol Red Line trains. It’s something they have done regularly for the last three years in an effort to stop violence before it happens.
The recent violent attacks on CTA trains highlight the need for conflict mediators on public transportation, said Tio Hardiman, executive director of the nonprofit.
“One life taken is too many,” Hardiman said, referring to the Pink Line shooting.
He said the organization’s methods have proven effective. Volunteers have been successful in stopping violence on trains since 2023 when he began the program made up of volunteer security guards and martial artists. He said he hopes the city will help expand the program.
“We don’t just ride trains. We’re helping people turn their lives around,” Hardiman said.
The CTA is beginning its own Violence Interruption Specialists pilot program, unrelated to Hardiman’s project. In that pilot program, the CTA says it will build “specialist teams” trained to de-escalate incidents involving at-risk youth and groups congregating at CTA hot spots at the Roosevelt station and north branch of the Red Line.
Contributing: Kade Heather