Prosecutors say a 26-year-old rider was doused with gasoline and set ablaze on a Blue Line train.
CHICAGO — A federal judge on Friday ordered Lawrence Reed, 50, held without bond while he awaits trial on a terrorism charge accusing him of setting a woman on fire inside a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train on Monday night near the Clark/Lake station.
Prosecutors say Reed carried out an unprovoked attack that left a 26-year-old passenger with severe burns and triggered a federal response rarely used in Chicago. Authorities charged Reed on Wednesday with committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system. Friday’s detention hearing focused on Reed’s history, the graphic video evidence and the government’s claim that he poses a continuing danger. The ruling keeps him in custody as investigators gather additional records and the U.S. attorney’s office prepares the case for a possible grand jury review.
According to prosecutors, surveillance video shows Reed carrying a plastic bottle filled with gasoline onto a westbound Blue Line train Monday, Nov. 17, then approaching the woman as she sat looking at her phone. They said he poured the liquid over her and ignited it with a lighter, setting off flames inside the railcar before exiting onto the platform. The victim ran toward the end of the car as other riders scrambled away. She was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. At Friday’s hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura McNally agreed with prosecutors that Reed should remain jailed pending trial. Reed declined a public defender and represented himself. “I don’t feel safe out in the public,” he told the judge, saying he would consent to detention.
In court, prosecutors outlined Reed’s encounters with law enforcement, saying he has at least 72 arrests over roughly three decades, including multiple battery cases and eight felony convictions. They said he was on court-ordered electronic monitoring in an unrelated aggravated battery case at the time of the train attack. Investigators described evidence that includes CTA camera footage from inside the car, platform video and images from a nearby gas station where Reed allegedly filled the bottle minutes before boarding. An affidavit from a federal agent summarizes the sequence, the plastic container and lighter recovered, and statements Reed made after his arrest. Officials said the victim’s family asked for privacy as she continues burn treatment; her exact condition beyond “critical” was not updated Friday.
The terrorism charge — committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system — is a federal offense that can carry up to life in prison. Reed’s case is being handled in the Northern District of Illinois by federal prosecutors working with Chicago police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The attack occurred on a busy line that connects Chicago’s neighborhoods with the Loop and O’Hare International Airport; Clark/Lake is among the system’s most-traveled transfer points. City leaders said the incident appears isolated but alarming for riders who depend on the CTA. Mayor Brandon Johnson called the case “an absolute failure of our criminal justice and mental health institutions,” while emphasizing the rarity of the terrorism statute in local transit cases.
Court and public records also show prior fire-related conduct. In 2020, Reed received mental health probation after a fire was set outside the James R. Thompson Center, a state office building downtown. Prosecutors said he has cycled through jail and probation “for 32 years,” with 15 arrests since 2016, and that judges previously released him under monitoring in separate cases. On Monday night, investigators say, Reed targeted the woman at random; officials have not identified any connection between them and have not described a motive. Authorities said more video and forensic reviews are ongoing, including analysis of accelerant traces on clothing and surfaces from the railcar and platform.
Friday’s ruling keeps Reed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center as the case moves forward. Prosecutors said they will present the matter to a grand jury, which could consider additional counts in the coming weeks. A status hearing is expected after Thanksgiving; a date was not set in court Friday. If the victim’s condition changes, charging decisions could also be revisited. For now, Reed remains held on the terrorism count while investigators continue interviewing witnesses, collecting CTA records and reviewing additional surveillance clips from the train and station corridor.
During the evening rush at Clark/Lake on Friday, riders moved past uniformed officers posted near the turnstiles. A transit worker wiped soot from a steel pole while trains rolled in and out. “People are shaken,” said Lake Street commuter Andrea Morales, who rides the Blue Line daily. “You don’t expect something like that in a crowded car.” Near the platform doors, a maintenance employee shook his head and said, “We just want folks to feel safe again,” declining to give his name because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The victim’s family said in a brief statement they were grateful for prayers and for care from Stroger Hospital’s burn team.
As of late Friday, Reed remained in federal custody and the woman was still hospitalized in critical condition. Prosecutors said the investigation continues and the next court date will be announced once scheduled.
Author note: Last updated November 22, 2025.