Isaac Anderson spent nearly a year working as a security guard at some of the city’s major annual events. That profession, and everything Anderson wanted to do with the remainder of his life, were disrupted on an October morning in 2022 when he murdered a man onboard a Red Line train, a killing that prosecutors said was motivated by Anderson’s desire for the victim’s Pepsi.
In June, jurors found Anderson, 30, guilty of the murder after only three hours of deliberation. On Thursday, Judge Angela Munari-Petrone imposed his sentences: 55 years for murder and five years for robbery. According to the law, he must serve the entire murder sentence as well as half of the robbery sentence before being released.
Prosecutors said CTA security film showed everything, beginning with Anderson using his own Ventra card to reach the State-Lake station on the morning of the shooting.
He boarded a southbound train, and Oral Woods, 60, entered the same car a few minutes later. After roughly 30 to 40 minutes, Anderson rose from his seat and sat down next to Woods. They spoke briefly before Anderson snatched Woods’ rucksack and glanced inside, according to prosecutors.
Anderson was seen pulling a Pepsi from his rucksack and dumping it onto the seat next to Woods. According to prosecutors, Anderson returned to his previous seat, drank the Pepsi, and then hurled the rest of the soda at Woods. When Woods stood up, unarmed and with both hands visible, Anderson produced a handgun from his jacket pocket and shot him five times, according to prosecutors. Anderson then escaped the 87th Street station.
Working from an initial description of the shooter, Chicago police officers spotted Anderson on a CTA bus shortly after. They interviewed him, took his identification, and searched him for weapons, but he did not have a gun, so the cops let him go. Days later, once detectives confirmed he was responsible for the shooting, officers apprehended him again at the 87th Street station, officials said.
Prosecutors said they discovered records indicating Anderson purchased three guns, including a revolver, in November 2021. According to court filings, police discovered a Facebook photo of Anderson posing with a handgun, as well as chats about shooting someone.
Anderson had no criminal history prior to the shooting. Anderson’s defense attorney stated during his initial court appearance that he had been working as a security guard for nearly a year, including at major events such as Lollapalooza.
“No one should be concerned for their safety while taking public transportation. “This conviction holds the defendant accountable for a senseless act of gun violence that took the life of an innocent CTA passenger,” Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke said following the jury’s judgment. “I commend prosecutors Rebecca Wiggers and Matthew Larkin, along with the Chicago Police Department and Chicago Transit Authority, for their work on the investigation to ensure justice for Mr. Woods and his loved ones.”
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