A third person has been charged with first-degree murder for allegedly pushing a 29-year-old man to his death off a Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train earlier this month, police said.
Christian McBounds, 18, was arrested Monday in Morgan Park and is charged in the death of Kyle Bickham on Sept. 7, according to Chicago police. McBounds faces five felony charges, including mob action and aggravated battery. He appeared in court for the first time Wednesday.
Two others, Katlar Parchman, 19, and a 15-year-old, face the same charges as McBounds. Prosecutors say the three individuals, plus one more unidentified person, worked together to assault Bickham before forcing him out of the sliding emergency exit at the back of the train car near 69th Street.
Bickham landed on the third rail and was ultimately struck by an oncoming southbound train, according to prosecutors.
Assistant State’s Attorney Marilyn Salas told Judge Deidre Dyer during Parchman’s initial court hearing Saturday that the confrontation began as a verbal altercation when Bickham was touching other train passengers’ belongings, then spat on two people. Bickham appeared intoxicated, according to remarks in court.
After Bickham spat, Salas said, a physical fight ensued. The group of four allegedly hit and punched Bickman repeatedly, before the 29-year-old was fatally shoved out of the train car around 2:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead on the scene.