Chicago Man Faces Federal Charges for Train Attack

A 50-year-old man, Lawrence Reed, is currently facing federal terrorism charges for allegedly setting a woman on fire on a Chicago train last week. Court documents reveal that Reed has had multiple violations of court-ordered curfews and movement restrictions related to past violent crimes.

After being charged with knocking out a social worker in a psychiatric ward at McNeil Hospital, Reed was placed under electronic monitoring on August 22. Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez denied the prosecutors’ request to jail him, stating, “We can’t keep everyone in jail because the state attorney wants to.”

Recent filings in the case show that Reed breached curfews and travel restrictions several times in the lead-up to the incident that occurred on November 17 on the Chicago Transit Authority. Surveillance records indicate that he left home unauthorized, returned late, and triggered warnings for serious violations.

According to an arrest affidavit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Reed approached a 26-year-old woman from behind and doused her with gasoline while she was on the Blue Line L train around 9 p.m. on November 17. The affidavit notes that the woman fought back, managing to escape Reed’s initial attempt to ignite the gasoline before he ultimately set her on fire.

The incident, further captured on train surveillance, shows Reed chasing the victim as she fled within the train car. He was arrested a few days later, reportedly with burn marks on his hands and in the same clothing he was seen wearing in the footage.

The victim, identified as Bethany McGee, suffered severe burns and is currently in critical condition. Following the attack, Reed’s behavior raised alarms, with multiple violations noted in the days before the incident.

After Cook County took over the electronic surveillance program, officials expressed concerns about its effectiveness in ensuring public safety. Despite this, a spokesperson for the Chief Judge’s Office declined to comment on Reed’s supervision violations.

In light of the new federal terrorism charges, prosecutors have moved to revoke Reed’s pretrial release from the earlier aggravated assault case. If this request is granted, he would remain in custody without bail. His next court appearance on the aggravated assault case is scheduled for December 4, while no further date has been set for his federal case yet.