About 50 people gathered at an Evanston church Tuesday for a memorial service for four people who were shot to death while sleeping on a Blue Line train earlier this month, along with scores of other homeless people who died in the past year.
The deaths of Margaret Miller Johnson, Sean Jones, Adrian Collins and Simeon Bihesi have reignited concerns about safety on the CTA and stunned those who work with the Chicago area’s homeless population. Authorities arrested and charged Rhianni Davis, 30, with murder shortly after the shootings. No motive has yet been identified in the case, and Davis has been remanded in custody pending trial.
Betty Bogg, CEO of Connections for the Homeless, said at a news conference at the Lake Street church before the service that while people without a place to live are prone to premature death, “it never occurred to us that this could happen.”
Connections worked with Miller Johnson and her husband starting in 2018, Bogg said. They were living in their truck at the time, and she remembers their excitement when they were placed in the organization’s hotel housing program. The organization had last heard that Miller Johnson was living in Des Plaines, but hadn’t made contact with her since January.
It’s unclear how Miller Johnson ended up sleeping on the train on Labor Day morning.
The organization’s board chairman, Pastor Monté Dillard, said the commemoration was an opportunity to mourn and condemn “this act of brutality directed against some of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
He also addressed the relatives of those honored at the ceremony.
“To each of the families you will hear from today, we want you to know that we not only see your grief, but we carry it,” he said.
Behind Dillard’s was a table with flowers, a photo of Miller Johnson and other deceased people who had benefited from the organization’s services. The organization has been holding memorials for its deceased clients since 2019, Bogg said.
“There is this perception that homeless people are alone and completely disconnected, but that is often not the case,” she said.
Miller Johnson’s sisters attended the news conference and memorial service but declined to speak. Members of the media were asked to leave the room after the memorial service for Miller Johnson and others who died on the Blue Line.
Bogg remembers Miller Johnson as a caring, intelligent woman who cared for her husband. She defied many stereotypes about homeless people, Bogg said, with a college degree and a husband.
She added that the shootings have shaken other homeless people who receive services from Connections and for whom the CTA can be a “relatively safe” option for rest.
“It’s terrifying to think that the one place you thought you would be okay, definitely isn’t okay,” Bogg said. “Being killed like that is not something that people have in their minds.”
Davis’ next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, documents show.
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