Thomas Kevin Barlow, 57, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of June 29, 2026, after stepping outside the CTA 98th Street Railyard on State Street to get something from his black 2012 Mercedes. Surveillance footage shows a man walking in the area while looking at his phone, then approaching and shooting Barlow before fleeing in Barlow’s car. The vehicle was recovered hours later in a nearby neighborhood.

Barlow, known as Kevin to friends and colleagues, had worked nearly two decades for the Chicago Transit Authority and was active in community efforts such as toy drives and serving food to those in need. The remote location and the removal of the area’s ShotSpotter system in 2024 meant Barlow lay undiscovered for almost ten minutes; a passerby found him about 4:15 a.m. and paramedics later pronounced him dead shortly before 5:00 a.m.

The Chicago Police Department identified the person on video as wearing a gray Chicago Bears hoodie with a large bear claw design on the back and released the footage to the public. As of early July 2026 no arrests had been announced and Cook County Crime Stoppers and the transit workers’ union offered a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Does anyone have information about the man in the hoodie or who was seen walking near the railyard that morning?