Hours after murder charges were filed against a suspect accused of killing four people onboard a CTA Blue Line train in suburban Forest Park on Monday, officials offered some new details on the attack.
Rhanni S. Davis, 30, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the brutal attack, which took place early Monday morning onboard a CTA train.
Davis is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, where the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office will release a proffer detailing their findings in the investigation.
According to Forest Park police, the weapon recovered when Davis was taken into custody was connected to six shell casings that were found onboard the CTA train. Three of the victims were shot on one car, while a fourth was shot on an adjacent car, police said.
Further details were not made available on the identities of the victims in the case.
According to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, no motive has yet been established in the case. and there is a possibility authorities may not discover what led to the attack.
“It is horrific. We want answers. The question of why may never be answered, because sometimes truly horrific acts don’t have an answer,” she said.
CTA President Dorval Carter said that the agency “cares deeply about the safety and security” of riders and employees, and that they have worked closely with local police departments on the investigation into the case.
“We’re united in our commitment to make sure we’re doing everything in our power to protect our riders and our employees,” he said.
Additional details are expected following Wednesday’s court hearing in the case.
Here’s what else we know so far.
Following a shooting that left four people dead on a CTA Blue Line train, Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins said he’s committed to seeking funding from Springfield for security and programs to address the root cause of violence. NBC 5’s Kate Chappell reports.
What happened in the shooting?
Police received a call at approximately 5:30 a.m. Monday of several people who had been shot on a train at the Forest Park CTA Blue Line station.
When officers arrived, they found four individuals who had been shot on the train. Three were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fourth died a short time later at a local hospital.
How surveillance footage cracked the case
According to officials, surveillance footage showed no altercation between the suspect and the victims in the case. It revealed that the four victims were asleep in different parts of the westbound train as the attack unfolded.
Officials are still working to track down eyewitnesses in the seemingly random attack.
Surveillance footage allowed police to identify a suspect, who was later apprehended onboard a CTA Pink Line train in Chicago.
Murder charges have been filed in a mass shooting that left four people dead on a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train over the Labor Day holiday, authorities announced Tuesday. NBC 5’s JC Navarrete reports.
Who were the victims?
The Cook County Medical Examiner has identified three of the four victims. Adrian Collins, 60, was shot in the head, as was 64-year-old Margaret Miller. Simeon Bihesi, 28, was shot multiple times, police said.
A fourth victim, a man, remains unidentified at this time.
Who is the suspect?
Davis allegedly fled the train after the shooting, but was tracked to a CTA Pink Line train, where he was taken into custody.
He had a weapon when he was apprehended, which investigations have linked to the shooting, according to Forest Park police.
NBC 5 Investigates has learned that the alleged shooter has faced various charges in Cook County under various names, including Rhianni Davis and James McDavis.
He was charged with battery in 2014, and was given two years of court supervision. He also faced charges in 2019 of unlawful use of a weapon and having an open container, but both charges were dropped.
He also faced a weapons charge in 2021, which was also dropped.