Person wanted in California for murder shot, killed inside Chicago's Union station, officials say

ByABC7 Chicago Digital Team WLS logo
Wednesday, August 25, 2021
California murder suspect killed in Union Station shootout
A person wanted in California for murder and other crimes was shot and killed inside Chicago's Union Station Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man wanted for murder in California was shot and killed inside Chicago's Union Station Tuesday afternoon, Amtrak and officials said.

Amtrak officials said California law enforcement alerted them that a person with multiple warrants, including a warrant for murder, was arriving on a train into Union Station Tuesday evening. The train originated from Emeryville, California, and the journey took multiple days.

WATCH: Amtrak officials give update on shooting inside Union Station

A murder suspect opened fire in Union Station when he was approached by officers on the platform, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari said.

When Amtrak police met the man at the platform, officials said, he ran from uniformed officers. He injured an Amtrak employee and then opened fire at Amtrak police officers.

"They all ran up the stairs pushing each other, trying to get out of the way," said Gene Vock, a witness. "I just heard everybody yelling, 'Hey, there's a shooter! There's a shooter!' And that's when I left."

An officer returned fire, striking the suspect in the chest, Chicago police said. He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where he later died. No further information about the suspect has been released.

One of the victims was punched, a second was treated for anxiety and a third suffered a laceration during the incident, officials said, but police did not specify how the Amtrak employee was injured. Amtrak officials said the employee suffered minor injuries.

All train traffic in and out of the station was halted temporarily due to the police investigation. Service is now resuming, though riders should expect delays.

A full investigation will be conducted by Amtrak and Chicago police departments, with CPD leading the investigation. A weapon was recovered at the scene, police said.