A Chicago woman was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to shooting a man on a Red Line train, a case that triggered a chaotic response from police who initially couldn’t figure out which train the shooter was on.
Indya Smith, 25, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery by discharging a firearm in exchange for the sentence from Judge Anjana Hansen. Prosecutors dropped attempted murder charges as part of the plea agreement.
According to prosecutors, it all started around 8:40 a.m. on October 2, 2024, when Smith spat on a 33-year-old man as they rode the train near Argyle. When the victim confronted her about it, they started arguing, and Smith ultimately pulled out a handgun and shot the man once in the shoulder.
As frightened passengers scrambled to safety, another rider pinned Smith and detained her for nearly 20 minutes while police and other first responders tried to find the train where the shooting occurred. Officials said multiple trains were stopped between stations during the search, and many passengers from the train where the gunfire occurred climbed onto the elevated tracks and wandered near the electrified third rail.
Under Illinois law, Smith must serve 85% of her sentence before she is eligible for release, meaning she would spend roughly 15 years and 3 months behind bars, minus the time she has already spent in the county jail.
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