Chicago: Four shot dead while they were sleeping in trains

Four people were shot dead in Chicago while they were sleeping on two different train cars, police said adding that a suspect armed with a gun was taken into custody.

According to Deputy Chief Christopher Chin, law enforcement responded to a shooting report at the CTA Blue Line Station in Forest Park around 5:30 a.m. and discovered four men with gunshot wounds. "Watching the video, it appeared that all four of our victims were asleep at the time that the shooting occurred. We don't believe that they're all [connected]" Chin told The New York Post.

Three victims, who were not sitting with each other, were found dead in one car and the fourth victim in a second.

Chin explained that Forest Park is the terminus of the CTA’s 24-hour-service Blue Line, which runs from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to the village of about 14,000 people.

“It’s not uncommon to, let’s say, in the winter months to have people who are either homeless or down on their luck or just, you know, maybe they get kicked out of their apartment or they got into an argument with their significant other,” Chin said. “So people just either spend the night on the train or just hang out there.”

Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins noted a significant increase in police calls at the station for issues such as drug overdoses. "Over the last two years, our number of responses have increased exponentially," Hoskins said. He proposed additional security on trains and called for more resources to support small communities like Forest Park.

The CTA condemned the "heinous and egregious act of violence" and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The agency stated that it would continue to work with law enforcement as the investigation progresses.