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By Khaleda Rahman and Amanda Castro
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A 29-year-old man died after being pushed from a moving train in Chicago last week, and now the man's father spoke to Newsweek on Monday looking for answers on how something like this could happen.
Kyle Bickham was identified by family members as the man who was fatally pushed from a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train on September 7.
Police said three suspects pushed him from a moving Red Line train near the 69th Street station during an altercation at around 2:40 p.m. on September 7, ABC7 Chicago reported. He hit the electrified third rail before being struck by an oncoming train, police added. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Newsweek has contacted the CTA for comment via an email sent outside regular business hours.
In a news release on Saturday, the Chicago Police Department said that a 15-year-old girl was charged with first-degree murder in the case. The teenager is also facing other felony counts, including mob action and felony assault of a transit employee.
Asked if police have identified the other suspects in the case, a spokesperson for the department told Newsweek they did not have an update, but the investigation remains ongoing.
"We do not have any new information or updates. Area Two Detectives continue to investigate," the spokesperson said.
Bickham’s family gathered at the 69th Street station on Sunday where they called for witnesses and the other two individuals involved in the incident to come forward.
"I don't know who else was out there, but I'd like you to turn yourself in," Bickham's mother LaTanya Bickham, said.
The family has questioned how a train’s side door could apparently be opened while the carriage was moving. CTA safety procedures, the operation of the door and any role played by surveillance footage have not been publicly explained.
“I'd like to understand what's going on with CTA," Bickham's mother said. "How it was so easy to have that door open in the middle of a ride and my son be thrown off the train."
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Who Was Kyle Bickham?
Bickham had been returning home after working an overnight shift at an Amazon facility in Cicero at the time, his family said.
He had recently moved into a new apartment and was determined to build a life for himself.
"He was just trying to make an honest day's living, and this is what happened," LaTanya Bickham told ABC7 Chicago.
His family said he loved spending time with his loved ones.
"He loved writing poetry. He loved us. He loved both of his nieces, his brothers, his sister; he just was an all-around caring guy," his father, Christopher Bickham Sr., told the station.
A GoFundMe was set up by Bickham’s brother, Chris Bickham Jr., to raise funds for his funeral.
“Kyle was a son, brother, uncle, family member, and friend who was loved by so many,” Bickham Jr. wrote on the page. “He was a light, goofy, kind, caring, and always able to bring laughter to those around him. His passing was sudden, and our family is asking for help giving Kyle the homegoing he deserves and sending him home to the Lord.”
He added: “Kyle was loved. Kyle mattered. His light will never be forgotten.”
‘He Was a Protector’: Father Remembers Kyle
In an emotional interview with Newsweek, Bickham Sr. described his son as “a great person” and “a protector of his family.”
“I just want people to understand that Kyle was a great person,” he said. “He was a proud person…a great son. He was a protector.”
Bickham Sr. said his son was a hard worker.
“Kyle has held a job since he was 15,” he said. “He’d work 12‑hour shifts, sometimes 14 with overtime, six days straight. He was constantly working overtime without so much sleep…trying to collect his funds together so he can get him an apartment, get him a car, take care of him and his girlfriend.”
He said Kyle’s commute was two hours each way, leaving him with little rest between shifts.
“He’d get maybe an hour of sleep, play video games, spend time with his girlfriend, then go right back to work,” he said. “He was dedicated for sure.”
The family is struggling with the sudden loss.
“The hardest part is us not being able to see our son, our brother, our nephew,” Bickham Sr. said, who recalled calling Kyle “Mr. Bickham” since he was a child because Kyle used to introduce himself that way.
“I’m gonna miss him saying ‘I love you, Dad,’” he said. “I miss his smile. It was just so infectious…he could make the dullest moment greater.”
He described Kyle as “a ray of sunshine” in the family’s life.
“You know how on rainy days when the sun finally comes shining through…that’s how Kyle was,” he said. “Anytime we felt gloomy, he was a ray of sunshine.”
Concerns Over Train Safety
Bickham Sr. echoed the family’s concerns about how the train door could have been opened while the train was moving.
“They pulled the switch, and they pried the door open,” he said. “They made this happen.”
He said he wants CTA to explain how that was possible, adding, “There should be safety features that stop these things from happening. I truly wouldn’t want this to happen to another family.”
Bickham Sr. urged anyone who saw the incident or knows the other individuals involved to come forward.
“Me and my family are hurting,” he said. “It could have been their family member. I want justice for my son…that smiling face that I can’t see anymore.”
Mentioning the GoFundMe page that was set up by Kyle’s brother to raise funds for his funeral, Bickham Sr. said the support his family has received has meant more than money.
“It means the world to me,” he said. “People are feeling the hurt and pain…showing up and showing out.”
He added: “I don’t care about a red cent. The money cannot bring my son back. The condolences mean more than anything.”
What Happens Next
The 15-year-old girl appeared in court for a detention hearing on Saturday and was ordered held in custody, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office told ABC7 Chicago. She was due back in court on Monday.
Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Ben Kelly, Yannick Demoustier, and Anthony Murray.
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