The morning of Labor Day, Rhanni Davis allegedly shot and killed four people riding the CTA Blue Line train before it pulled into the Forest Park station.
As Davis is held without bond following a pre-trial hearing Wednesday, Forest Park grapples with the aftermath of the murders, and how to prevent similar killings in the future. Now it is seeking help from national and local leaders.
Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins said that, the day of the shootings, he was contacted by the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, who connected the mayor with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Hoskins and Village Administrator Rachell Entler had a Zoom meeting with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention the morning of Sept. 4.
“They provide resources for communities and organizations that go through these largely traumatic events,” Entler said of the White House program. “Based on the fact that Forest Park is unique, that we have two CTA terminals in town, what are some additional resources we could potentially use?”
Entler said the village is looking into potential resources, including those that address the root causes that led to the Monday morning shootings.
While the four victims were sleeping on the train when they were shot before 5:30 a.m., it has yet to be confirmed if they were homeless. It’s also unknown what Davis’ motive was, if he was experiencing a mental health crisis or using substances.
While the state often provides funding for nonprofits addressing issues like homelessness and substance use, Entler said Forest Park doesn’t have many nonprofits located in the village that deal with these issues.
“It’s one thing to be able to say, ‘You’re experiencing homelessness. You need to go talk to Housing Forward or go find a Pads shelter.’ But it’s another thing to actually bring those resources to where the people experiencing these challenges are,” Entler said.
“This tragedy is a devastating reminder of the realities that people face when they do not have a safe place to sleep,” Housing Forward officials said in a statement. “This event underscores the urgent need for compassionate and effective solutions to address the root causes of homelessness.”
This year, Housing Forward’s Street Outreach team has engaged over 300 people experiencing homelessness, according to officials.
“We’ve talked a lot about how we can bring those resources to the spaces where the people who need them the most are actually congregating,” Entler said. “We see such a high homeless population and substance abuse. Those are big calls that our first responders deal with on a regular basis.”
La Shawn Ford, who represents the 8th District in the Illinois House of Representatives, is helping amplify Forest Park’s concerns following the Labor Day shooting.
Ford said he’s contacting providers who want more funding for unhoused people with a substance use disorder in the area.
Ford sees potential funding in implementing the Illinois Medicaid 1115 Waiver, which addresses health-related social needs and includes a proposal for housing support for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming unhoused.
He said he also wants to access a portion of the over $1.3 billion settlement that Illinois received in 2022 from prescription opioid distributors to help address the state’s opioid crisis.
Ford and the Gateway Foundation, a Chicago-based addiction treatment center, are hosting a roundtable planning meeting in October to address the funding. State representatives will be present, along with Edna’s Circle — recovery housing in Lawndale — and the West Side Heroin and Opioid Task Force.
“When we make statements calling for additional resources, it’s really not to cast blame,” Hoskins said during a press conference held at Village Hall Sept. 3. He then thanked the Chicago Police Department, Forest Park Police Department, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and CTA, “who helped to solve this crime and bring these charges, having done all the due diligence.”