The Justice Department has charged 50-year-old Lawrence Reed with a federal terrorism offense after he allegedly doused a 26-year-old passenger with gasoline and set her on fire aboard a Chicago Blue Line train. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Reed filling a small gas container about 30 minutes before the attack, and police say he was arrested the next morning wearing the same clothing and making incriminating statements. The victim remains in critical condition with severe burns; Reed faces a potential life sentence if convicted. The attack has drawn national attention and renewed debate over transit safety.
Federal Terrorism Charge After Alleged Gasoline Attack Leaves Woman Critically Injured on Chicago Blue Line
The Justice Department has charged 50-year-old Lawrence Reed with a federal terrorism offense after he allegedly doused a 26-year-old passenger with gasoline and set her on fire aboard a Chicago Blue Line train. Surveillance footage reportedly shows Reed filling a small gas container about 30 minutes before the attack, and police say he was arrested the next morning wearing the same clothing and making incriminating statements. The victim remains in critical condition with severe burns; Reed faces a potential life sentence if convicted. The attack has drawn national attention and renewed debate over transit safety.
08:31 AM, 11/20/2025Security
Federal prosecutors have charged 50-year-old Lawrence Reed with a federal terrorism offense after authorities say he doused a 26-year-old woman with an accelerant and set her on fire aboard a Blue Line L train in Chicago.
Details of the attack
According to an arrest affidavit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Reed was seated at the rear of a train car when he approached a woman who had her back to him. Investigators say Reed removed the cap from a plastic bottle, poured what is believed to have been gasoline onto the woman, then ignited the container and set her ablaze.
Surveillance footage cited in the affidavit reportedly shows Reed at a gas station about 30 minutes before the incident filling a small container. After the attack the train pulled into a downtown stop; witnesses said Reed walked away while the victim staggered off and fell. She was rushed to a hospital in critical condition with severe burns to her head and body. Officials have not released her name.
Investigation and arrest
Chicago police arrested Reed the following morning. Investigators say he was wearing the same clothing shown in surveillance footage and made statements that were described as incriminating. An ATF investigator wrote in the affidavit that Reed carried out the assault "with the intent to cause death and serious bodily injury to one or more persons."
Reed faces a federal terrorism charge that carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. Federal court records do not list counsel for him in the federal case. Local reports said Reed was disruptive during his first federal court appearance, repeatedly yelling that he wanted to represent himself, declaring "I plead guilty!" and asserting he was a Chinese citizen as the judge attempted to advise him of his rights.
Context and reactions
The attack prompted comparisons to a fatal commuter-train stabbing in Charlotte earlier this year. The incident has also reignited political debate about public safety in large U.S. cities.
"This horrific attack is EXACTLY why we need communities to take safety seriously. Blue cities cannot allow another Iryna Zarutska to happen," wrote U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on social media.
The Chicago Transit Authority said it is cooperating with investigators and emphasized that its security measures include surveillance cameras and other procedures aimed at passenger safety.