Deonte L. Thomas, a 23-year-old African American male, was tragically shot and killed on January 20, 2018, near the 69th Street Red Line station in Chicago, Illinois. According to Cook County prosecutors, the incident occurred around 1:15 p.m. when Jerome Moore, 29, and a group of individuals approached Thomas and his friend at an upper-level bus stop. Moore asked Thomas if he could buy cigarettes, and when Thomas responded that he did not have any, Moore accused him of being "on his turf."
Moore initially walked away but later returned and opened fire, shooting Thomas multiple times in the chest. Thomas died at the scene.
Jerome Moore, who lived in the Park Manor neighborhood, was arrested three days after the shooting at a Greyhound bus stop upon returning from Milwaukee. He was carrying a loaded 9 mm handgun at the time of his arrest. Moore faced charges of first-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Just three days before the shooting, Moore had been discharged from parole for a 2015 vehicular hijacking conviction. A judge ordered Moore held without bail pending a court appearance, and if convicted, he could face life in prison.
The Cook County medical examiner's office confirmed that Thomas, who resided in the West Englewood neighborhood, died from multiple gunshot wounds. CTA surveillance video captured Moore at the scene, and a witness identified him as the shooter. The case against Moore was built on this evidence, and he was charged accordingly.
