Chicago L Train Shooting Suspect Denied Pretrial Release

The suspect in the Labor Day shooting on Chicago’s train system, known as the “L,” will remain in custody until his trial, a judge ruled on Wednesday.
Rhanni S. Davis, 30, is charged with four counts of first-degree murder after allegedly killing three passengers before moving to a second train car and shooting a fourth man on Monday who attempted to defend himself.
The incident happened just before 5:30 a.m. local time on Monday when police received a call that three people had been struck by bullets on a train at the Forest Park CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) Blue Line station. Forest Park police rushed to the scene and found four shooting victims. Three were pronounced dead on the scene, and the fourth later died at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois.
The suspected shooter, now identified as Davis, fled the scene, but Chicago police were able to track him down using a description from surveillance footage. Davis was then taken into police custody on a CTA Pink Line train in Chicago. A firearm was recovered, but it was not immediately clear if it was the same gun used in the shooting.
However, additional details of the shooting were revealed on Wednesday, during Davis’ initial court appearance as Judge Elizabeth Ciaccia-Lezza cited overwhelming evidence and deemed Davis a “real and present threat” to the public, ordering him to be held without bail.
Prosecutors said 64-year-old Margaret Miller was shot in the back of the head, while 60-year-old Adrian Collins was gunned down after raising his hand in a desperate attempt to shield himself. Collins died shortly after being taken to a local hospital. Authorities have yet to release the name of the final victim, a 52-year-old man due to difficulties in contacting his family.
According to Cook County prosecutors, while no motive has been disclosed and Davis donned a mask during the deadly assault, Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Eugene Wood revealed detailed evidence against Davis, including video footage and forensic tests that linked him to the crime.
In addition, Davis’ hands tested positive for gunshot residue, and shell casings found at the scene matched the weapon used.
Newsweek has reached out to the Cook County Prosecutors Office via email for comment.
Monday’s shooting comes as almost 3,000 people were shot in 2023 in Chicago, according to The Trace, a nonprofit gun-related news outlet. This, however, is down from the year before. The number of shootings in Chicago decreased by roughly 16 percent from 2022. As of August 12, shootings in the Windy City dropped by 2 percent from this time last year.
In addition, the early-morning shooting has sparked concerns over safety on the CTA’s Blue Line, which operates 24 hours a day and is often a refuge for those experiencing homelessness. While it’s unclear whether the victims were homeless, authorities have noted that their addresses are unknown.
“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 CTA said in a statement.
“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,” the CTA said.
Gun violence continues to plague the nation, with 11,451 gun deaths and 22,011 gun-related injuries so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit that collects data on gun violence incidents in the U.S. Of those gun violence incidents, 376 have been mass shootings, which the Gun Violence Archive defines as an incident in which four or more people are shot or killed, not including the shooter.
Davis is scheduled to appear in court again on September 27, where more details of the case are expected to emerge.