A recent incident on the Blue Line in Chicago has left a 17-year-old boy injured after a robbery attempt turned violent. Malik Washington, 23, who was on pretrial release for a felony gun charge, has been identified as the suspect in the shooting.
The incident took place at the Western Blue Line stop on the Near West Side at around 6:54 a.m. on December 13, 2023. Prosecutors revealed that Washington approached the teenager on the train, brandished a firearm, and demanded the victim’s cooperation in a robbery. When the boy resisted and tried to escape, Washington fired multiple shots, hitting the teen in the left arm and left armpit.
Judge James Murphy III has ordered Washington to be detained on charges of attempted murder and attempted armed robbery. The judge noted that Washington callously ran past the injured victim to flee the scene, showing a lack of regard for human life.
This is not the first time Washington has been in trouble with the law. He was previously on pretrial release for allegedly possessing a pistol during a traffic stop in April 2023. Additionally, he is accused of robbing another victim in April 2024. Shockingly, Washington is the 41st person in Chicago to be involved in a shooting or attempted shooting while on felony pretrial release in 2023, resulting in 51 victims and 14 fatalities.
This incident adds to the growing concerns surrounding the effectiveness of the court’s bond reform initiative. Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans had previously stated that there hadn’t been any “horrible incidents” under the initiative. However, the reality is that the number of murders and shootings committed by individuals awaiting trial for felonies is likely much higher than reported. According to city data, charges have been brought in less than 5% of non-fatal shootings and 33% of murders since 2017.
This unfortunate event serves as a reminder of the need for continued vigilance and accountability in the criminal justice system to ensure the safety of the community.
