Midwest
Blue city suspect with numerous prior arrests federally charged after allegedly setting woman ablaze on train
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The suspect with a lengthy criminal history and who was released after being accused in a violent August attack, has been federally charged after allegedly lighting a young woman on fire Monday on the Chicago Blue Line train and yelling “burn b—-.”
Lawrence Reed, 50, is charged with committing a terrorist attack or violence against a mass transportation system, according to a recently filed criminal complaint.
Federal prosecutors allege Reed intentionally used gasoline and a lighter to set a woman on fire aboard a CTA Blue Line train at about 9:30 p.m. Monday.
A photo from train security footage showed the suspect allegedly following the woman to the back of the train car before lighting her on fire. (U.S. District Court documents)
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U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Andrew Boutros said the woman was “minding her own business and reading her phone” while seated in the middle of the train car, when Reed approached her from the back of the car, doused her head and body with gasoline, and attempted to ignite the liquid.
The woman ran to the back of the car, as he ignited the rest of the liquid in the bottle and then used it to light her on fire, according to the complaint.
Footage allegedly showed Reed watching the woman, engulfed in flames, as she tried to put out the fire by rolling on the floor.
Train footage shows the suspect allegedly coming up behind the woman and pouring the liquid on her head and body. (U.S. District Court documents)
Boutros said as the woman was rolling on the ground, desperately trying to put out the fire, no one came to her aid.
When the train stopped at Clark and Lake, the complaint noted the victim, who was still on fire, managed to exit before collapsing on the platform.
“When she finally stumbled down, two Samaritans came and put out the blaze that was all consuming her,” Boutros said.
Graphic video footage captured at the scene showed Chicago Fire and EMS workers attempting to load the woman into an ambulance.
She suffered severe burns to her face and body and remains in critical condition, according to authorities.
Train footage showed the suspect allegedly purchasing the items used in the attack from a nearby gas station. (U.S. District Court documents)
SEE IT: VIDEO SHOWS CHARLOTTE TRAIN STABBING SUSPECT BEFORE ATTACK AND MINUTES BEFORE ARREST
Prosecutors obtained photos showing Reed at a gas station about 20 minutes before the attack, where he was seen entering the store, paying the cashier and filling a small container with gasoline.
Other images showed Reed inside the train holding a flaming bottle as he approached the victim.
Reed allegedly exited the train after setting the woman on fire and walked away.
He was arrested Tuesday morning, still wearing the same clothing from the attack, and had burns on his right hand, according to the complaint.
Officers noted he repeatedly yelled “burn b—-” and “burn alive b—-,” while being taken to the detective division.
Investigators recovered a partially melted bottle, lighter and clear liquid from the victim’s train seat, along with the remains of some of her clothing.
Photos from the train show the moment the suspect allegedly doused the woman in gasoline. (U.S. District Court documents)
CHICAGO WOMAN SET ON FIRE DURING ARGUMENT ON CTA TRAIN, POLICE SAY
During Reed’s first appearance in federal court Wednesday, he allegedly shouted, “I plead guilty, I plead guilty, I plead guilty.”
U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura McNally asked him if he knew the maximum sentence was life in prison, to which he responded, “It’s cool, it’s cool, it’s cool.”
Following the hearing, ATF Special Agent in Charge Chris Amon commented on Reed’s “violent” criminal history and pending criminal cases, adding he “had no business being on the streets.”
Footage showed the suspect allegedly purchasing the items used in the attack from a nearby gas station. (U.S. District Court documents)
“Reed had plenty of second chances by the criminal justice system, and as a result, you have an innocent victim in the hospital fighting for her life,” Amon said. “Because of the swift action of CPD, ATF and our law enforcement partners, there will be no other chances for Mr. Reed.”
McNally suggested a mental and medical evaluation, though Boutros noted Reed had not been declared mentally incompetent in connection with any of his prior charges.
Lawrence Reed, 50, is charged with committing a terrorist attack or violence against a mass transportation system, according to officials. (Chicago Police Department)
Who is Chicago train attack suspect Lawrence Reed?
Records show Reed has a lengthy criminal history, including a charge of felony aggravated arson from April 2020, after he allegedly started a fire at the Thompson Center, where Gov. JB Pritzker was holding a daily COVID-19 briefing.
He also faced misdemeanor battery charges for punching multiple women in the face, seemingly at random, and slapping a 42-year-old man in the face at the Halsted CTA Blue Line platform, FOX 32 Chicago reported.
In August, Reed was charged with aggravated battery after allegedly assaulting a woman at a psychiatric hospital, CWB Chicago reported. Despite prosecutors’ request to keep him detained, he was released with an ankle monitor.
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Chicago Police Department records indicate Reed was arrested on at least 13 occasions by their agency alone since 2017. His charges included:
- May 19, 2017: Driving with a revoked license, obstruction of traffic by motorist, driving in reverse, operator signal, uninsured motor vehicle
- April 2, 2018: Soliciting unlawful business, making prohibited transactions, jaywalking
- June 19, 2018: Criminal trespass to real property, criminal damage to property
- July 13, 2018: Battery, possession of a controlled substance
- April 1, 2019: Driving with a revoked license, three counts of no turn signals, operating an uninsured motor vehicle
- Dec. 29, 2019: Criminal damage to government property
- Feb. 21, 2020: Battery
- Feb. 28, 2020: Two counts of battery
- April 23, 2020: Aggravated arson knowing there is a person(s) present
- Dec. 4, 2021: Simple assault
- Dec. 21, 2021: Battery with intent to cause bodily harm
- June 1, 2022: Battery making physical contact
- Jan. 20, 2024: Criminal damage to property.
Fox News’ Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.
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It’s an annual tradition, a sensation of the summertime – the Oahe Days Music & Arts Festival, a weekend-long congregation of vendors, crafters, makers and entertainers, ushering in the season with food and fun.
“It’s a huge event, an entire weekend completely free, everything is completely free – granted, you know, we have the carnival, we have a full slate of activities, (but) there’s something for everyone,” John Sterling, Vice President of the Oahe Days Music & Arts Festival, told the Capital Journal. “We have a magician going right now, earlier she was doing balloon animals, there was a canine show, they were doing canine stunts.”
Iain Woessner
Oahe Days consists of shows, food, the carnival section and a diverse collection of vendor tents, selling everything from knives and kitchenware to fresh-baked bread, vintage antique pottery, jewelry, stones and crystals, artwork to spices.
The air rings with peals of laughter as children race from magic shows to ferris wheels and adults indulge in fried food, funnel cakes, gyros and barbecue. In a town where families remain the cornerstone of community culture, Oahe Days is evident in its focus on family-friendly-fun.
“I think this is a fantastic community event and it brings out children, families and everybody and I think this is critical to the future of Pierre and Central South Dakota,” Kevin Larsen of Pierre/Fort Pierre Kiwanis said. “This is really one of those community activities that has sustained for many years and I’d like to encourage more volunteers. That’s what makes this event a success, the volunteers.”
The event relies on volunteers to help in the unsung and unseen logistics of something on this scale, and the organizers of Oahe Days echoed the need for the community to continue to invest time and money to keep the beloved event alive.
Iain Woessner
“There is a call for volunteers,” Julie Diedrich, President of the Oahe Days Music & Arts Festival, said. “If you are a local business and you want to contribute to making this a free event, we’re always open to donations and (regarding volunteers), it can be a little or just volunteering throughout the weekend.”
It’s not just in the official elements that the community works to keep Oahe Days going – beloved events are organized and integrated into the Festival by members of the community themselves, demonstrating the collaborative spirit of the event. This is best exemplified by the Soggy Bottom Race, a cardboard boat race that had once been held every year before going on an extended hiatus, only to have been revived last year by locals who missed it.
“I think that Oahe Days is such a good event, it brings everybody down here, and I used to participate in the cardboard boat race myself, I always had a ton of fun building the boats and it’s super fun. We thought it was something that had been missing,” Blake Severyn with the Independent Insurance Agents of South Dakota, told the Capital Journal.
The Soggy Bottom Race serves nonprofits in the area as well, with entry fees going to a different organization each year, this year supporting Soterra. Boats are judged both on the skill of their crews in navigating the river as they race to the other shore and also on their craftsmanship, with each cardboard boat boasting a unique and fun design.
Of course, half the fun is wondering which of the colorful cardboard crafts will actually prove seaworthy.
“Some of them won’t make it more than six feet and some of them will make it all the way,” Severyn said.
The spirit fueling Oahe Days, from its concerts to its competitions, is one of local pride.
“This is our event, it is the event of the summer in Pierre, it kicks off summer officially and it’s what people look forward to year after year,” Sterling said.
Iain Woessner is the editor of the Capital Journal in Pierre, South Dakota. Iain can be reached by calling 605-307-5502, ext. 5012, or emailing Iain.woessner@capjournal.com.
A Wisconsin man has been arrested in Colorado in connection with a fatal north suburban hit-and-run earlier this year that left a 50-year-old woman killed.
According to the Winthrop Harbor Police Department, Travis Kern, 35, of Pleasant Prairie, turned himself into police in Lakewood Colorado on an arrest warrant. Kern was charged with two felonies, police said, and remains in custody in Colorado pending extradition proceedings.
About 11:10 p.m. on February 26, a pedestrian was struck in the 1400 block of Sheridan Road in Winthrop Harbor by a driver of a vehicle heading northbound. The vehicle then fled the scene, police said.
The pedestrian, later identified as Shanna White, 50, of Waukegan, was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
According to court documents, Kern’s next scheduled court date is set for July 22.
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