Man Fires Assault Rifle At Blue Line Subway Station; No One Injured
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A gunman was in custody Thursday after firing shots from an assault rifle at a downtown Blue Line subway platform.
CTA officials said shots were fired around 11:20 a.m. on the LaSalle platform, as a northbound train was approaching the station.
Chicago police and CTA officials said a male gunman fired shots before fleeing the station. Police said the suspect was apprehended a short distance away, and the weapon was recovered.
No one was injured on the train or platform.
Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy says the suspect, who has a Firearm Owners Identification Card, shot five times at a moving train. He was in possession of an assault rifle and had dozens of rounds with him.
Officers caught the suspect at Polk and State, near Jones College Prep High School.
Police taped off a large section of the platform, and at least one evidence marker appeared to indicate the location of a shell casing on the floor next to the train.
The incident caused major delays on the Blue Line through early Thursday afternoon, as the train involved in the shooting was left sitting at the station while police investigated, but normal service was restored by about 2:30 p.m., although with some residual delays.
Visitor Dari Leyba was among the Blue Line passengers rattled by Thursday's shooting. She said she had just asked a shuttle driver if the subway was safe.
"He said, 'Yes, of course they are,'" she told CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot.
A CTA employee who was at the station was transported to the hospital for stress related to the incident. The individual was not shot, officials said.
