CHICAGO – Prosecutors allege that as 30-year old Rhianni Davis moved through a CTA blue train early Monday morning, four unsuspecting passengers were shot at close range without provocation.
Three of the four victims were killed while they were asleep, authorities said.
Davis made an initial appearance in court Wednesday and is being held without bond.
Court records allege around 5 a.m. Monday, the suspect wore a mask and shot three of the four victims at close range in the head as the Chicago Transit Authority blue line train was in Forest Park.
A fourth passenger turned to face the shooter and was shot twice in the torso. He was later transported to Loyola Hospital where he died, according to a court proffer.
Killed were:
- 60-year old Adrian Collins
- 29-year old Simon Bihesi
- 64-year old Margaret Johnson
- 52-year old man who has not yet been identified
Authorities allege after the shooting the suspect exited the train at the Harlem blue line stop but returned 15 minutes later and boarded an inbound train headed toward the Loop. Around 7 a.m. Monday, Chicago Police found the suspected shooter at a Pink line station, clothing matching the description of the suspect seen on surveillance video, court records allege.
Local
A motive for Monday’s deadly shooting is still unclear, but past court records involving the suspect's finances and previous criminal cases are providing a small window into the person say is responsible the killings.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
NBC 5 Investigates found while the suspect has a history of criminal cases in Cook County dating back to 2012, the majority of charges were dismissed. There was a disorderly conduct conviction in 2020 after being found in a Bloomingdale’s while the store was being looted. Davis served one day in jail and was given a fine of $100. Another case involved a battery charge.
The 30-year old suspect was born, James McDavis, but in 2012 petitioned a judge for a name change to Rhianni Davis. Court records show last fall Davis sought to change the name back – but the case was tossed out when Davis failed to show up for court.
In February of 2021, the suspect was arrested for unlawful use of a weapon. Officers responded to a car crash and found Davis with a Taurus 9mm blue steel handgun in a satchel bag along with live rounds. Chicago Police determined Davis had a valid Illinois FOID card but not a concealed carry license. The felony charge was later dropped when the prosecutor concluded the bag could be considered a gun case.
The year before, in 2020, a relative sought a protective order, alleging that during an argument at her home Davis “pulled out a handgun” but did not use it. That case and a counter protective order were later dismissed.
NBC 5 Investigates spoke with the suspect's aunt by phone Tuesday who said she was surprised by the news of shooting and his arrest - adding that “it’s messed up. I’m at a loss for words. I don’t know what else to say.”
Attempts to reach other relatives Tuesday and Wednesday were unsuccessful.
In 2018, federal court records show a Rhianni Davis filed for bankruptcy and was employed at the time as a security guard.
State licensing records shows a person by the name of Rhianni Davis does have a security guard license, which expired last month. Those same records show Davis had undergone firearms training.
“This was a very random isolated incident. I can tell you in my career I can’t recall any sort of mass killing like this ever occurring,” Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter said during a Tuesday evening news conference that this past weekend’s killings were an anomaly.
An NBC 5 Investigates’ review of Chicago crime data shows there have been at least 10 homicides aboard CTA “L” trains since 2003. There were 39 reported on CTA properties – including trains and buses – during the same time period.
