Four people fatally shot on a commuter train in the Chicago area early Monday appeared to be attacked while asleep in their seats, police said in an afternoon update.
The victims, whose names, ages, and genders were still unavailable, appeared to be asleep, were seated apart, and did not resist the attack, the Forest Park Police Department said, citing a review of security footage.
A suspect has been taken into custody and a weapon was recovered, Forest Park Deputy Chief Chris Chin said at a news conference.
The motive remained unknown. The name of the person in custody was not released.
“This appears to be an isolated incident on this unfortunate day,” Chin said. “It’s a horrible situation.”
The department got a 911 call around 5:27 a.m. about victims with gunshot wounds on Chicago Transit Authority train at the Blue Line station at 711 Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park, it said on Facebook.
Police found four people with gunshot wounds. Three were pronounced dead at the scene, and the fourth died at Loyola University Medical Center, police said.
All four victims were passengers, Chin said at the news conference.
The shooting took place on two train cars, Chin said at the news conference. The train was in motion when gunfire erupted, he said.
The suspect, whose description was informed by security video, was found on a Pink Line train, police said. NBC Chicago reported Chicago police found the suspect when officers noticed a passenger matching the shooter’s description.
Forest Park police said in the update that investigators were also trying to track down a person they believed witnessed the attack.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) called the shooting a “heinous and egregious act of violence” that should never have happened on a public train.
“As soon as this matter was reported, CTA immediately deployed resources to assist the Forest Park Police in their investigation into the matter, including review of all possible security camera footage, which proved to be vital in aiding local enforcement,” the CTA said.
The CTA said it will continue to work with local police to investigate the shooting.
“Surveillance video is vital in a lot of our investigations,” Chin of Forest Park police said, “especially this one.”
Forest Park is 10 miles west of downtown Chicago.
