Michael Tyus will keep his head “on a swivel” a bit more often on CTA trains after hearing about the latest violence on the transit system this week.
Four people were fatally shot Monday on a Blue Line train in Forest Park. Three of the victims were asleep when they were shot, and at least one of them was unhoused.
“I may be more cautious, looking around, keeping my head on a swivel, being aware of my surroundings,” said Tyus, who is unhoused and uses the trains for shelter.
Another shooting Tuesday night seriously wounded a CTA worker outside the Howard Street station in Rogers Park.
Tyus, 43, and a couple dozen other people experiencing homelessness were at the Howard station Wednesday night. Twice a week, the Night Ministry sets up tables filled with food and water, a makeshift medical room staffed with a nurse, harm reduction supplies and other services at the Howard and Forest Park stations for people experiencing homelessness.
Stations at the end of CTA train lines, like the Howard station in Rogers Park and the west suburban Forest Park station, are a refuge for homeless people.
“There’s a lot of people that depend on the trains to stay warm,” Tyus said.
Tyus, of North Lawndale, said he often used to ride the Blue Line, but lately he has preferred to ride the Red Line because he feels more safe.
At a news conference this week, CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said that people who sleep on trains shouldn’t fear for their lives despite Monday’s attack. He also said the CTA provides assistance to the homeless.
Jami Osowski, 36, arrived in Chicago this week from Indiana and has yet to find a place to stay. Although she hasn’t ridden the CTA since getting to the city, she doesn’t feel deterred by the recent violence.
“Especially in a city like Chicago, you have to use public transportation because it’s ridiculous, you can’t pay for all that parking and stuff like that,” Osowski said. “Public transit is a great thing, we should not take away from that.”
Gary Beckman, 44, who has been living in a tent in Skokie, said he comes to nearly every Night Ministry event at the Howard and Forest Park stations. He’s been unhoused and riding the CTA almost his whole life, he said.
Events like Wednesday night’s with the Night Ministry are a boost for those seeking help, but once the organizations pack up, “it’s like everybody’s for themselves,” Beckman said.
“You have to defend yourself, figure out where your next meal is going to be, if you’re going to wake up without somebody messing with you or trying to kill you,” he said.
He criticized the city for closing homeless shelters in recent years and said that more needs to be done to help find places for people to stay, such as unoccupied buildings.
Beckman also said he has noticed the CTA trains and buses have become more dirty over the years and less safe. He said he would like to see security guards or violence interrupters monitoring the trains.
“Start having people out there that care about people, that want to help,” Beckman said.
Osowski added that violence on trains and elsewhere could be prevented if the local and federal governments better addressed root issues like mental health and homelessness.
“If everyone’s basic needs were met, the violence would go down because people wouldn’t be sleeping on trains,” Osowski said. “People wouldn’t be getting violent because their needs are being met.”