A 15-year-old girl and two other people allegedly pushed a beloved Chicago man from a moving train, killing him as he traveled home after an overnight shift, authorities and local reports said.
The teenager, whose identity has not been released because of her age, was arrested Friday on multiple charges, including first-degree murder. Chicago police said she was involved in the fatal Sept. 7 incident that sent 29-year-old Kyle Bickham from a moving CTA Red Line train.
Police told WLS that three people shoved Bickham during an altercation aboard the train that afternoon. He fell onto the third rail before being struck by an approaching train.
Authorities have not yet disclosed what sparked the confrontation or provided further details about the moments leading up to the deadly incident.
Bickham’s family said he was heading home from an overnight shift at an Amazon warehouse when the confrontation occurred. He had worked long hours while trying to build a better future for himself, they said.
“It’s the most hurtful thing that has ever happened,” his father, Christopher Bickham Sr., told the outlet.
The youngest of four siblings, Bickham was remembered as a hardworking, fun-loving man who was devoted to his family.
“He loved writing poetry. He loved us. He loved both of his nieces, his brothers, his sister; he just was [an] all-around caring guy,” Bickham Sr. said.
Bickham had recently moved into a new apartment and was managing a lengthy commute along with a demanding work schedule to make ends meet.
“He was just trying to make an honest day’s living, and this is what happened,” his mother, Latanya Bickham, said.
His grandmother, Bertha Ford, called the people accused of pushing Bickham from the train “evil.”
“If you’re that evil, to open a door and throw somebody, a live person out, what’s wrong with you? This guy was so kind,” Ford told the outlet.
“He’s full of love. He always expresses [it], even to me. If he didn’t have a phone, he gonna make a way to call me to say, ‘Granny, you know I love you so much,’” Ford said. “He always reaches out to me to say, ‘Granny? You know God got you. And I love you so much.’”
A GoFundMe to raise funds for Bickham’s funeral has since raised $11,511 of its $14,000 goal.
The alleged teen killer — who was identified as a missing person from the south suburbs of the city — was hit with felony counts of first-degree murder, mob action, murder by other forcible felony, and aggravated battery to a transit employee, according to cops and CBS Chicago.
She was ordered to be held behind bars during a court hearing on Saturday, the outlet reported.
Police are still searching for the two others who shoved Bickham off the moving train.
