Man charged with federal terrorism offense after allegedly setting woman on fire on November 17 on Blue Line train at Clark/Lake CTA station in Chicago

The man who was accused of setting a woman on fire during her commute in Chicago on Monday has been charged with federal terrorism. 

Lawrence Reed, 50, was charged on Wednesday for allegedly pouring gasoline on a woman and igniting a blaze on the Chicago transit system. 

He allegedly approached the victim and repeatedly yelled at officers ‘burn alive b***h,’ according to a federal complaint, reported by PBS outlet WTTW. 

Reed was arrested on Tuesday afternoon and appeared to be wearing the same clothes as he was seen in during the attack. 

The complaint also noted that he had ‘fire-related injuries’ on his hand. 

Reed was allegedly caught on surveillance footage sitting in a train car on the Blue Line. 

Prosecutors believe he approached the victim, who was seated in the same car, and poured gasoline over her head and body. 

She attempted to escape her alleged attacker when he lit the bottle in his hand and lit the bottle, according to the criminal complaint. 

The surveillance footage allegedly revealed the horrifying moment when his alleged victim became ‘engulfed in flames.’ 

She was seen attempting to extinguish the flames by dropping to the ground, and fled the train car when it stopped at Clark and Lake. 

The victim collapsed when she arrived at the station, and multiple witnesses reportedly attended to her while she waited for emergency responders. 

Reed allegedly fled at the station as authorities searched for a person of interest in the arson attack. 

He was arrested on Tuesday in downtown Chicago. Investigators obtained additional security footage of Reed allegedly filling a container with gasoline at a gas station less than a half-hour before the attack, according to the complaint.  

 

This is a breaking news story…