More police promised for Chicago trains after fatal shooting
Officials are pledging to reinforce security on Chicago Transit Authority trains after the shooting death of a passenger
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chicago police and transit officials on Saturday pledged additional security for the city's trains to stem a spike in violent crime after the shooting death of a passenger overnight.
A 29-year-old man, Diuntel Moon, was shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen on a Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train on 79th Street in the Chatham neighborhood about 2 a.m. Saturday, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown said at a news conference.
Moon was pronounced dead at a hospital. No suspects are in custody, Brown said.
“Senseless gun violence and incidents like these ... have no place in this city. It is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Brown said. “No resident should think twice about their safety on any part of CTA or in our neighborhoods.”
Brown and CTA president Dorval Carter denounced the spike in numbers, not seen for a decade. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that as of mid-July, CTA has reported 488 violent crimes this year, higher than at any point since the same period in 2011.
Brown promised additional police officers will be assigned to the CTA starting Sunday, but he declined to specify how many for security reasons. He said the police presence on the CTA had been fortified earlier this year as well.
The CTA, which has an unarmed security force, will reinstate the use of canine patrols, Carter said without elaborating.
“It’s just another additional resource to use, obviously, in addition to the security guards ...,” Carter said. “There’s nothing magical about the canine unit.”
“The more we can add to the CTA in both an unarmed security and prevention mode, armed CPD officers in an enforcement mode and really aggressive investigative efforts in bringing offenders to justice is all part of the criminal justice effort,” Brown said.
___
Follow Political Writer John O’Connor at https://twitter.com/apoconnor