Chicago — A man who has been arrested 32 times by Chicago police since 2014 robbed and then engaged in a “firefight” with a concealed carry holder on a Green Line train during the Friday afternoon rush hour, authorities said Sunday.
“It is a pure miracle by the grace of God that no one was killed, that no innocent bystander was killed,” Judge Maryam Ahmad remarked during the bail hearing for Darius Moss, 33.
“This is just ridiculous. Ridiculous,” Ahmad continued before ordering Moss to pay a $25,000 deposit toward bail to be released before trial.
Officials said a 25-year-old bank security guard was riding the train home shortly before 5 p.m. when Moss boarded his train car and started staring at him while smoking.
The men started arguing until Moss “upped a firearm” and announced a robbery, prosecutor Christopher Cromydas said. Holding the victim at gunpoint, Moss allegedly took the man’s keys, phone, credit card, and, notably, his concealed carry license.
Moss threatened to shoot the victim if he did not exit at the next stop, which was Cicero, according to Cromydas.
After stepping off the train, the guard pulled out his own firearm on the platform, reentered the train, and launched into a “firefight” with Moss, Cromydas continued.
“Wait, wait, wait,” Judge Ahmad interjected. “A firefight on the train?”
“Yes, your honor,” Cromydas confirmed, explaining that the gunfight took place on the train and the platform.
The guard expended 18 rounds, four of which jammed, during the incident, he said. Chicago police said Moss was shot once in the leg, but the victim was not injured.
Moss left the Cicero station while the victim continued riding to Laramie, where he identified himself to police and explained what happened.
Chicago cops found Moss walking in the area of the Cicero station and recovered the victim’s property from his possession, along with a revolver that contained four live bullets and a spent casing, Cromydas said.
“This is abject insanity,” Ahmad later said. “Abject insanity.”
Moss has been convicted of four felonies since 2014, including robbery and theft in 2018.
According to his public defender, he has two children and is pursuing a career as a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning technician.
He is charged with armed habitual criminal and armed robbery with a firearm. Ahmad was barred from holding Moss without bail because prosecutors did not ask her to.
CWB Chicago has reported on two of Moss’ previous felony cases.
In August 2018, prosecutors charged him with robbery after he allegedly threatened to shoot a TJ Maxx security guard who tried to stop him from stealing $111 worth of merchandise in the Loop.
While he was on parole for the robbery case, Moss was accused of stealing an entire cash register from Dunkin’, 39 West Jackson, and carrying the whole machine onto a Red Line train.
