Chicago police flooded a South Side CTA bus Monday after a fight on board erupted, and riders heard a single loud pop that left them unsure if a gun had just gone off. Officers shut down the area around East 69th Street and South King Drive in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, taping off the street, combing through the bus, and fanning out across the block. In the chaos, a teenage passenger was struck, and the coach quickly turned from a commute to a crime scene.
Police Recovered Casings And A Magazine During The Search
According to WGN-TV, Area One detectives locked down the intersection and began a painstaking evidence sweep, eventually recovering at least one shell casing and a gun magazine near E. 69th and S. King Drive. Witnesses told investigators they heard a sharp pop from inside the bus but could not say for certain whether it was a gunshot. Chicago police treated the block as an active investigation site while detectives canvassed nearby buildings for surveillance footage and tried to track down more witnesses.
Another CTA Bus Scare Fuels Safety Jitters
This latest scare comes on the heels of other recent trouble on CTA vehicles, including an April 10 shooting that wounded a woman near South King Drive and East Pershing Road, according to ABC7 Chicago. Incidents like these have triggered beefed-up police responses and fed longstanding anxiety among South Side riders about how safe they are on buses and at bus stops.
What Detectives Are Looking For And Where The Bus Runs
Police said a 16-year-old boy was caught up in a physical altercation on the No. 3 King Drive bus and was punched in the face by two men, leaving him with a laceration. He turned down medical treatment at the scene, investigators told reporters. Detectives are asking anyone with cellphone video or information about the confrontation to contact Area One detectives, and as of Monday night no arrests had been announced, WGN-TV reported. The No. 3 King Drive route serves stops along King Drive on the South Side, according to the CTA.
