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The man accused of shooting and killing four people while they were sleeping aboard a CTA Blue Line train in Forest Park on Labor Day will make his first court appearance Wednesday.
Rhanni S. Davis, 30, of Chicago, is expected to appear in court at 12 p.m., where the Cook County State's Attorney's Office will release a proffer detailing their findings in the investigation. Davis has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the attack, authorities said during a press conference Tuesday.
According to Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, no motive has yet been established in the case.
"It is horrific, " Foxx said. "We want answers. The question of why may never be answered, because sometimes truly horrific acts don’t have an answer."
More details are expected to be revealed at the hearing Wednesday. Here's what we know right now.
What happened on the Forest Park Blue Line?
Local
According to authorities, around 5:30 a.m. Monday, police received a 911 call of several people shot on a train at the Forest Park CTA Blue Line station.
Upon arrival, officers emptied the station and found four people had been shot on the train. Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. A fourth was transported to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.
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Records from the Cook County Medical Examiner later showed that three of the victims were male, and one was female.
What surveillance video showed
According to authorities, surveillance video revealed the four victims were likely asleep in different parts of the westbound train when the attack occurred.
No fights or prior confrontation were observed in the surveillance footage, police said, and officials were working to track down eyewitnesses.
While a motive has not been established, police say the shootings appeared to be random in nature.
Who were the victims?
The victims were identified Tuesday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. They were:
- 60-year-old Adrian Collins, who was shot in the head
- 28-year-old Simeon Bihesi, who suffered multiple gunshot wounds
- 64-year-old Margaret A. Miller, who was shot in the head
One other victim, a male, remained unidentified as of Tuesday. He died of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the medical examiner's office.
What we know about the suspect
The suspect fled the train after the shooting, with police using surveillance footage to identify the individual. The suspect was later found onboard a CTA Pink Line train and was taken into custody. A weapon was also recovered, but it is unclear if it was the same gun used in the attacks.
NBC 5 Investigates has learned the alleged shooter has faced various charges in Cook County dating back to 2012 under various names – including Rhianni Davis and James McDavis.
His previous charges include a battery charge in 2014, which he pleaded guilty under the name James McDavis.
Court records show he was given a fine and two years of court supervision.
In 2019, under the name Rhianni Davis, he faced charges for the unlawful use of a weapon and having an open container – both of which were later dropped. He also faced a disorderly conduct case from 2020 and was found guilty after being discovered in Bloomingdales while it was being looted.
In 2021, court records show he faced an additional weapons charge, which was later dropped.
Statements from CTA, Forest Park officials
In a statement released Monday, the CTA called the incident a "heinous and egregious act of violence."
"Although this was an isolated incident, this heinous and egregious act of violence should never have occurred, none the less on a public transit train," the statement began. The full statement can be found below.
"As soon as this matter was reported, CTA immediately deployed resources to assist the Forest Park Police in their investigation into the matter, including review of all possible security camera footage, which proved to be vital in aiding local enforcement. We commend both the Forest Park Police Department for their thorough and collaborative efforts to provide information to partner agencies; as well as the Chicago Police Department whose quick actions led to the apprehension of a suspect in this matter. CTA will continue to work with local law enforcement as part of this ongoing investigation."
Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins called on city and state leaders for more resources and security on the train.
"Over the last two years, our number of responses have increased exponentially, so we are counting on leaders countywide, statewide, to invest in more resources to support a small community like Forest Park and securing this area," Hoskins said during a press conference.
State Rep. La Shawn K. Ford also released a statement.
"As a Representative of Forest Park, we extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of this horrific tragedy that occurred on the CTA Blue Line in Forest Park," the statement read in part. "This act of senseless violence has shaken our community, and we stand firmly with Mayor Rory Hoskins in calling for more extraordinary safety measures and resources to prevent such incidents from happening again."
In a press conference Monday, Forest Park Deputy Chief Chris Chin called the shooting a "horrible situation."
"It’s something you don’t want to wake up to," Chin said. "Everyone is supposed to be enjoying their time off. So to actually have to be there to address a situation like this, its horrible."
