Aโ Chicago โขman accused of setting a CTA rider onโ fire earlierโ this week has been orderedโฃ toโค remainโข inโข federal custody, prosecutorsโฃ announced Friday. โคLawrence Reed,31,appeared โin court following his arrest in connection with theโค attack onโ the Blueโฃ Line. Heโ facesโฃ a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
The incident,which โoccurred Tuesday,has raised concernsโ about โsafety on Chicago’s public transportation system. According to police, Reed boarded the Blue Line and allegedlyโฃ set aโ 30-year-old manโ on fire. The โvictim was hospitalized โwith severe burns. Reed was foundโ to be in possession ofโฃ a CTA transit card used to board the train at the time of โtheโ attack.
during transport to the police detective division,โข Reed allegedly made repeated, spontaneous statements, yelling โ”burn b**” and โค”burn alive b.” He was subsequently turned over to federal authorities Wednesday.
Prosecutors revealed Reed has an extensive criminal history, including a priorโ charge in 2020โข related โto an arson at the Thompson Center in Chicago. An earlier FOX 32 report detailed the 2020โ incident, where โฃReed allegedly poured an “unknown substance” on the building’s glass exterior and set it ablaze โwhile people โwere โinside, shortly before โขa COVID-19 โbriefing by Gov. JBโค Pritzker. No injuries were reported in that case.
Reed’s court hearing began at 10 a.m. Friday.
The Source:**โ The information in this story came from court documents, โChicago โpolice, and previous FOX 32 reporting.
