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CTA Worker Shot to Death Near 98th Street Rail Yard on Chicago’s South Side

The killing has intensified calls for better transit-worker safety and renewed scrutiny of the city’s 2024 end to ShotSpotter gun‑detection coverage.

Overview

  • Police found a 57‑year‑old man with a gunshot wound to the chest near the CTA 98th Street rail yard and he later died at a hospital, with multiple outlets identifying him as Thomas Kevin Barlow.
  • Union leaders and Case Files Chicago say the shooting occurred during an apparent attempted carjacking as Barlow retrieved items from his vehicle, and a news conference called for stronger protections for overnight transit staff.
  • Chicago police and area detectives are actively investigating and have not announced any arrests, while authorities are reviewing surveillance footage from the scene.
  • Cook County Crime Stoppers has offered up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and tips can be submitted anonymously through the tip line or website.
  • Reporting notes the overpass site was in a zone the city removed from ShotSpotter coverage in 2024 and the killing comes after a weekend that saw a surge of shootings and the mayor’s recent creation of an Office of Gun Violence Reduction.