4 sleeping passengers fatally shot on train, mayor of Chicago suburb says; suspect arrested; gun recovered



Four sleeping passengers aboard a Chicago Transit Authority train were fatally shot Monday morning, according to the mayor of Forest Park, a Chicago suburb.

CTA workers discovered the shooting victims around 5:30 a.m., WLS-TV reported, adding that Forest Park police said they received a 911 call about the shooting. Three victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fourth died at Loyola University Medical Center, the station said.

'It's a Monday morning on a holiday. Everyone is supposed to enjoying their time off, time with their families; it's Labor Day. ...'

Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins told WLS the victims, all adults, were sleeping at the time they were shot.

"These victims likely never saw it coming," Hoskins added to the station. "They were executed on Labor Day. In our community, people go to the pool. They go to the park. You know, they barbecue. But today a lot of people were calling the mayor's office, expressing concern and asking if they were safe."

Police told WLS the shooter fled the scene, but officers took a suspect into custody within 90 minutes and recovered the gun allegedly used in the shooting.

"We believe he got off at the Forest Park stop, and he was apprehended at a Pink Line station in Chicago somewhere, so he may have gotten on a train going the opposite direction," Hoskins added to the station.

Police told WLS the shooting occurred on two train cars.

"I mean, it's a horrible situation," Forest Park Police Deputy Chief Christopher Chin added to the station. "It is definitely something you don't want to wake up to. It's a Monday morning on a holiday. Everyone is supposed to enjoying their time off, time with their families; it's Labor Day."

Forest Park police and the West Suburban Major Crimes Task Force are investigating the shooting, WLS said, adding that police said it appears to be an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the public.

Neither the shooting suspect nor the shooting victims have been identified, the station said.

- YouTube youtu.be

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11-year-old girl charged with aggravated battery after 8 to 10 youths brutally beat up 63-year-old man on Chicago train



An 11-year-old girl was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery of a victim 60 or older and felony robbery of a victim 60 or older after eight to 10 youths brutally beat up a 63-year-old man on a Chicago train earlier this month.

In addition to the girl, four other juveniles and an 18-year-old woman have been arrested and charged in connection with the attack on the Chicago Transit Authority train, WFLD-TV reported.

'They were like, 'Oh, you're trying to start something with us!' Then it was like I was literally running through a gauntlet of fists.'

The victim, Michael Manning, told the station he was keeping to himself after a 12-hour workday and looking forward to getting home when the youths — which consisted of males and females — targeted him after they boarded his train at the LaSalle/Van Buren stop after 11 p.m. July 8.

"I knew right away that this was not going to go well, no matter what I said or did," Manning told the station. "I stood up, and I’m 6’4" and I guess that was not a good move because I immediately got punched in the back of the head, which sent me forward into the group. They were like, ‘Oh, you're trying to start something with us!’ Then it was like I was literally running through a gauntlet of fists."

Manning called the attack "surreal" in an interview with WFLD — which you can view here — and said he "was just so shocked. I think I kind of went numb."

"They just pounded on me, and I knew I had to get off this car to, like, not die," he added to the station.

Manning told WFLD he exited the train one stop later — but the group followed him and continued beating him up, leaving him bloodied on the platform before they jumped back on the train. Manning's right ear and right cheek were bloody, and he suffered a black eye on his right eye, according to photos he shared with the station. He told WFLD they stole only a few of his belongings, including his debit card.

"I don't understand how you can have this type of lawlessness and wanton disrespect, disregard for basic humanity," Manning added to the station. "And there's no checks and balances anywhere."

Who else was arrested?

Among the other arrestees are a 16-year-old male who got cuffed Monday in the 1700 block of South State Street, WFLD reported, adding that he was charged with felony robbery of a victim 60 or older and felony aggravated battery of a victim 60 or older.

A 15-year-old female and two other males — ages 14 and 16 — were arrested Tuesday in the 7000 block of South Cottage Avenue, the station said, adding that all three were hit with the same charges: felony robbery of a victim 60 or older and felony aggravated battery of a victim 60 or older.

Tamia Washington, 18, was arrested Wednesday in the 1700 block of South State Street, WFLD said, adding that she was charged with one felony count of robbery of a victim 60 or older and that her detention hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

Police urge anyone with information to contact the Chicago Police Department's Mass Transit detectives at 312-745-4447, the station said, adding that anonymous tips can be submitted to CPDtip.com.

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Bureaucrats And Big Business Leave East Palestine Suffering A Year After Train Disaster

A year after the Norfolk Southern derailment, East Palestine residents are still experiencing serious health issues and seeking accountability.

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Migrants In Canada Living By Train Tracks?

The claim is inaccurate

‘Too Little, Too Late’: East Palestine Residents Needle Biden’s Response To Toxic Derailment, Protest Ahead Of Visit

'He’s only coming because it’s election season'

Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar calls for 'tougher measures at the border'



Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas is calling for "tougher measures at the border."

The lawmaker, who was the victim of a carjacking in Washington D.C. earlier this year, is calling for securing the nation's border.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement on Sunday that, "After observing a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains, CBP is taking additional actions to surge personnel and address this concerning development, including in partnership with Mexican authorities."

"Beginning December 18, 2023 at 8:00 AM local time, CBP’s Office of Field Operations will temporarily suspend operations at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas in order to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody," CBP noted in the statement.

Cuellar responded to the news by declaring that "The crisis at our border is seriously affecting legitimate trade."

"This year alone, vehicle and rail operations have been suspended at multiple ports of entry due to an overwhelming number of migrants, worsening delays for truck drivers transporting goods and costing our economy millions," he noted. "Our border communities desperately need more federal resources, and we need tougher measures at the border. We must secure the border now."

CBP reported more than 240,000 southwest land border encounters in October, after reporting nearly 270,000 for September.

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Trainwreck: People ridicule DNC's 'Biden Express' post on X



The Democratic National Committee shared a post on X that features an image of a model train that carries the words "BIDEN express." The text of the tweet reads, "All aboard the Biden Express."

The post earned significant mockery online. Some people posted a gif of a locomotive riding off of a cliff and plummeting to the ground.

— (@)

"The 'Biden Express' is a trainwreck," someone else wrote.

— (@)

"This is an apt analogy for the current administration. They are going nowhere while circling a once thriving tree that has been killed for their amusement," another tweet read.

"The Biden express: A toy train running in circles around a rotting tree," someone else wrote.

"Doing my duty as a fighter in the conservative movement to add a train wreck gif to this tweet. #JoinTheFight," someone quipped.

— (@)

President Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election, appears to be on track to clinch the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination. He is already the oldest president in American history and would be 86 years old by the end of a second term in office.

Former President Donald Trump appears likely to win the GOP presidential nod. The fourth Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election cycle is taking place on Wednesday night in Alabama, but Trump, who skipped the first three debates, is not participating.

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Train derails into Yellowstone River; bridge collapses; tanker cars leaking asphalt, sulfur



Multiple tanker cars carrying hazardous materials derailed and a bridge over the Yellowstone River collapsed Saturday morning in Stillwater County, Montana, authorities reported.

"There are several cars in the river," Montana Rail Link told TheBlaze in a statement, adding that several hazmat cars were included.

The train crew is safe and no injures were reported, according to the statement.

"The safety of our employees and the public remains our top priority. We are committed to addressing any potential impacts to the area as a result of this incident and working to understand the reasons behind the accident," Montana Rail Link also said.

"I'm monitoring the train derailment in Stillwater County, and the state is standing by to support as Montana Rail Link and county officials assess their needs," Gov. Greg Gianforte tweeted.

The train was traveling westbound at approximately 6:45 a.m. when a portion derailed while traversing the bridge.

The MRL tanker cars, originally thought to be leaking petroleum products, contained asphalt and a second unidentified substance described as "slow moving," YCSO shared, referencing the "most current information" shared by Stillwater County News.

The second substance was sulfur, KRTV reported.

The derailment and bridge collapse took place between Columbus and Reed Point near Twin Bridges Road, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reported.

The agency advised the public to avoid the water from Twin Bridges Road to Buffalo Mirage Fishing Access Site due to potential contaminants, adding that the Stillwater River was closed from White Bird FAS to the confluence with the Yellowstone River.

YCSO reported that water treatment plants, irrigation districts, and industrial companies were "taking appropriate precautions."

Officials from Montana's Disaster and Emergency Services and Yellowstone County's Emergency and General Services are asking residents to conserve water.

"Water treatment facilities in Laurel, Billings, and Lockwood, as well as the irrigation canal companies, have instituted emergency protective measures, including shutting down head gates, due to a potential hazmat spill," YCEGS shared on Facebook.

MRL personnel and first responders are onsite and the derailment is under investigation.

Montana Rail Link is a Class II regional railroad that operates over 900 route miles of track in Montana, according to its website.

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This man is CRAZY!

This man is CRAZY!