- Maurice Dodd was charged in connection with a shooting early Sunday at a CTA Red Line station in Greater Grand Crossing that left two men seriously injured.
- Police said an argument escalated into a fight, during which a 21-year-old man was shot in the chest and a 23-year-old man was shot in the buttocks.
- Three men were taken into custody at the scene and two firearms were recovered.
CHICAGO – A recent shooting at a CTA Red Line station wounded two men, as the transit agency faces a deadline to improve safety on public transportation.
Violence interrupters stopped riders exiting the CTA Red Line at 79th Street. They say they’ll be riding trains at all hours to be vigilant for the public.
That Red Line station is where a double shooting took place early Sunday morning.
Police say a group got into an argument that escalated to gun violence. Two men in their twenties were seriously wounded.
“The CTA is overall safe to a degree. We would like to let everybody know also if we were present, there’s a chance we could’ve de-escalated that particular situation,” said Tio Hardiman, the executive director of Violence Interrupters.
Charges filed
Maurice Dodd, 18, is charged with one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon by a person under 21, one misdemeanor count of resisting or obstructing a peace officer and two counts of issuance of a warrant, according to Chicago police.
And the CTA is on notice.
The Federal Transit Administration directed the CTA to submit an aggressive crime reduction plan by March 19 or face losing as much as $50 million in federal funding.
This came after the horrific burning of a female CTA passenger and a fatal stabbing on the Blue Line.
Violence Interrupters say they want to be part of crime prevention.
“Anybody who brings an illegal gun wants to shoot or hurt somebody,” Hardiman said. “Even though at night you don’t have as many people on the train but at night, that’s the crime of opportunity. The criminally minded would say, ‘I’ll just go for it.’”
There are currently increased police patrols and K9 units on the CTA.
The information in this article was provided by the Chicago Police Department and reported by FOX Chicago’s Joanie Lum.