A Chicago Public Schools teacher was stabbed repeatedly in an apparently random attack while riding a CTA bus home from work earlier this month, an incident police never disclosed publicly and that the public is only learning about now because a woman who saw the crime scene posted about it on social media.
Prosecutors say the attacker, 32-year-old Jeromeyo Gibson, ran from the bus, then escaped by stealing another man’s car, which he crashed about a block from former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home in Logan Square.
The woman said she learned about the stabbing from her roommate and went outside to see what was happening. She later posted a video describing the scene, saying the attacker had “started going crazy” on the bus before fleeing and taking another man’s car.
That account is largely consistent with prosecutors’ allegations against Gibson, who is charged with attempted murder, possessing a stolen motor vehicle, attempting to disarm a peace officer and other felonies in connection with the September 10 crime spree.
Prosecutors said the victim, whose online profile identifies him as a 50-year-old CPS teacher, boarded an eastbound #77 Belmont bus at Oketo Avenue to go home from work. About 20 minutes later, Gibson allegedly boarded the back of the bus without paying the fare, carrying a duffle bag.
When the bus stopped at Belmont and Milwaukee around 4:55 p.m., Gibson pulled a knife from his duffle bag and launched into an “entirely unprovoked” attack, standing behind the victim’s seat and stabbing him twice in the neck and three times in his upper back, the detention filing said.
After the stabbing, Gibson allegedly turned toward another passenger while holding the knife in the air. That passenger put his backpack in front of his face to protect himself and watched as Gibson fled the bus and ran south on Milwaukee Avenue. The stabbing was captured on CTA video.
The woman said an officer warned her to “watch the blood” when she went outside.
Gibson allegedly continued south to the 3000 block of North Milwaukee Avenue, where he found a red Chevrolet Malibu parked with its engine running and doors unlocked while its owner went into a convenience store. As the 44-year-old owner came outside, Gibson allegedly climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away, pulling the man to the ground when he tried to stop him. That incident was also captured on video.
About 15 minutes later, officers learned of a crash involving the stolen car in the 3300 block of West Wrightwood Avenue. Prosecutors said Gibson had driven into oncoming traffic and sideswiped another vehicle, causing the Malibu to spin out.
Gibson allegedly fled from the crash and was found by police about four blocks away, still carrying the duffle bag, which contained a 6-inch kitchen knife, according to prosecutors.
In a detention filing, prosecutors said Gibson made a string of comments while being transported, including: “I know what I did. You know I stabbed an innocent White man. I stabbed a White man in the back. I stabbed him he was tweaking bro. I took ol’ boy’s car. Yeah, I crashed the car because I was feeling bad energy from her.”
Judge Ankur Srivastava granted the state’s request to keep Gibson detained pending trial.
Court records show Gibson has multiple felony convictions from 2022 for aggravated battery of peace officers and escape by a felon. He also has a 2019 burglary conviction.
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