Real Grief Caused On CTA Bus

By Jocelyn Geboy in News on May 11, 2007 9:08PM

Chicagoist usually feels pretty safe on the CTA, and while we usually prefer riding the 'L' (everyone happy now?) to the bus, when it comes to late night riding, we kind of dig the bus because we have this idea that we are safer because there's a real life human being right there in our midst, which would obviously deter someone from doing something crazy or violent directly to our person. It's also why we ride in the very first car on the el (we couldn't do it forever!), because we are right next to the motorperson's car if something should go awry.

Our notions were horribly disabused by yesterday's tragedy on the South Side, when four high school students were injured and one was left dead after a gunman boarded a bus at 103rd and Halsted streets. He opened fire on passengers as the bus traveled east on 103rd Street.

The bus driver pulled over at 103rd Street and Lowe Avenue and the gunman fled on foot. But five teens were shot and one of them, 16-year-old Blair Holt, later died from his wound. Another victim's father,16-year-old Tiara Reed, said Holt might have died protecting her.

Extra security and police patrols were in place today at Percy L. Julian High School, at 10330 S. Elizabeth St., and at Corliss High School, at 821 E. 103rd St., because there is a possibilty that the shooting may have been gang-related and at least four of the teen victims were students at Julian. Police are still searching for the gunman, but he has not been found.

"Cta Bus" by Mike Boehmer