4 dead in shooting on Chicago public transit train

Sept. 2 (UPI) -- A suspect is in custody after four people died in a shooting on a Chicago Transit Authority train in suburban Chicago on Monday morning.

The incident occurred on two westbound cars in Forrest Park, which is west of Chicago, authorities said during a news conference .

Just before 5:30 a.m., police received a 911 call of three people shot on the train at the Forest Park CTA Blue Line station. Responding police cleared the station and found four shooting victims.

Three people were pronounced dead at the scene, and a fourth was taken to Loyola University Medical Center, where the person died.

The offender escaped from the scene but police noticed the person in video surveillance.

The Chicago Police Department located a person matching the description on a CTA Pink Line train. Police say a firearm was recovered during the arrest.

The identities of the victims and suspect have not been released.

"Shocking, you know, it is uncommon to have a mass shooting like this, especially this close to home," Forest Park Police Deputy Chief Christopher Chin said at the news conference .

The incident appears to be an isolated incident, with no immediate threat to the public, police said.

"It's a horrible tragedy that four people are dead on Labor Day weekend," Mayor Rory E. Hoskins said during a news conference. "Our police department and our fire department respond to this location probably more than any other location in our jurisdiction.

"Forest Park is the only community in Cook County ... with two major train lines that end [there]. So we provide police response, and fire and medical response."

The mayor is asking for additional resources -- public safety, law enforcement personnel -- from the state for his village, which has around 15,000 residents.

The CTA said in a statement: "Although this was an isolated incident, this heinous and egregious act of violence should never have occurred, nonetheless on a public transit train."

Blue Line train service in the area was temporarily suspended.

The CTA operates buses and trains in Chicago and 35 surrounding suburbs as a governmental agency.

The rail line, is known as "The 'L,' or elevated, with eight rapid transit routes and 145 stations. The 1,480 rail cars cover 224.1 miles of track. There are

Chicago O'Hare International Airport is served.