Months before a 26-year-old woman was allegedly doused with liquid and set on fire on a CTA Blue Line train, a Cook County prosecutor was on the record warning a judge that releasing the same man on electronic monitoring could put the public in danger. That warning now reads like a grim preview of what federal authorities say happened on a train rolling through the Loop.
Federal prosecutors this week charged 50-year-old Lawrence Reed in the attack, which left the young woman hospitalized in critical condition. The newly surfaced court transcript, paired with the federal criminal complaint, has turned up the heat on Chicago’s pretrial release decisions and the way electronic monitoring is used in serious violence cases.
What the transcripts say
According to CWB Chicago, an assistant state’s attorney told Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez during an August detention hearing that putting Reed on an ankle monitor “could not protect the victim or the community from another vicious, random, and spontaneous attack.”
The transcript quotes the judge replying, “I understand your position, but I can’t keep everybody in jail because the State’s Attorney wants me to, but I understand and respect your position.” Despite the warning and the detailed risk assessment, the judge ordered Reed released on electronic monitoring with daytime leave windows.
Federal charges and the criminal complaint
Federal prosecutors have since charged Reed with “committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system,” a federal offense that the U.S. Attorney’s Office says carries a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. In a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, officials say the complaint alleges the attack happened Monday night aboard a Blue Line train near the Clark and Lake station, when Reed poured a liquid over the victim and then ignited it.
What witnesses and local reporters described
Surveillance footage and local reporting describe a frantic scene as riders and bystanders rushed to smother the flames and help the victim off the train. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, according to NBC Chicago and other outlets.
Earlier coverage, including Hoodline’s detailed timeline of the attack, documented the sequence of events on the train and the initial emergency response. Investigators say video from inside the train and surrounding cameras is a key piece of the case.
Pretrial history, the transcripts highlight
The transcripts CWB Chicago published trace Reed’s recent history, including a hospital encounter and prior offenses that prosecutors argued showed he was dangerous. That includes an alleged assault on a social worker inside the locked psychiatric wing at MacNeal Hospital and a 2020 arson at the Thompson Center, which prosecutors cited while pushing for detention.
Prosecutors told the judge that a court officer’s risk assessment flagged Reed for “new violent criminal activity” and recommended the strictest conditions. The judge instead chose a high level of electronic monitoring and allowed daytime leave periods that, according to the transcript, did not include the evening hour when the Blue Line attack allegedly occurred.
Officials respond and what’s next
Mayor Brandon Johnson publicly blasted the situation, calling the attack an “absolute failure” of both the criminal justice and mental health systems and urging quicker action on safety and services, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Federal prosecutors say they plan to pursue the case aggressively, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office also stressed in its press release that the complaint is not evidence of guilt and that Reed is entitled to a fair trial. He was arrested by Chicago police and transferred into federal custody while the investigation continues.
Investigators are still combing through surveillance video and following up on witness tips as the federal case moves ahead. Prosecutors say the evidence laid out in the complaint, including surveillance footage and a purchase of gasoline minutes before the attack, is expected to be central at upcoming court hearings. Community leaders and regular CTA riders are demanding answers on how pretrial release and monitoring are being handled, while law enforcement continues to urge anyone with video or information to contact the detectives on the case.
