Second Shooting Incident on CTA Blue Line This Month
Chicago police are once again investigating a shooting incident along the CTA Blue Line, marking the second such occurrence this month. Fortunately, the victim of Sunday evening’s shooting is expected to survive.
On Easter Sunday at approximately 9:14 p.m., police responded to a report of a person shot and discovered a 32-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his right thigh inside a train car.
The victim recounted that he was sitting on the train when the perpetrator shot him before fleeing through the station’s west exit. Law enforcement has been given a description of the suspect as a bearded and slim Black male aged between 30 and 35, standing at 5’6” to 5’7” tall, and wearing dark jeans.
As of now, the shooter remains at large.
This incident occurred just over a week after a tragic altercation at the UIC-Halsted station where a doorman lost his life during a fare dispute with a CTA employee.
On April 12 at 6:04 p.m., 24-year-old CTA customer service agent Luther Hopkins III fatally shot 61-year-old John Flemister, a concealed carry license holder, in what authorities deemed an act of self-defense.
According to a CPD report, the altercation escalated when Hopkins claimed to have seen Flemister brandishing a firearm in his bag. In response, Hopkins drew his own weapon, resulting in both men firing shots before Flemister succumbed to his injuries.
Hopkins, who possessed a firearm but was not authorized to carry a concealed weapon, is facing charges of unlawful possession of a weapon. Additionally, the CTA has announced that Hopkins will be subject to disciplinary measures for possessing a firearm while on duty.
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