Additional Criminal Charges Filed Against Lawrence Reed in Blue Line Attack
Prosecutors have recently revealed new details about additional criminal charges filed against Lawrence Reed, the man accused of setting a woman on fire aboard a Blue Line train last month while he was on electronic monitoring.
Reed, who is already facing federal terrorism charges in connection with the November 17 attack that left Bethany MaGee, 26, badly burned at the Clark-Lake station, now faces further charges related to a previous incident on March 27, 2025. This incident involved Reed targeting two passengers on the Blue Line in the West Loop.
During a recent detention hearing, prosecutors shared that Reed and a woman were seated back-to-back on the train when Reed stood up and sat on her lap, making inappropriate movements. The woman pushed him away and moved to a different seat with a companion, while a male passenger who witnessed the incident intervened to ensure her safety.
According to prosecutors, Reed then attempted to kiss the woman, prompting the male passenger to step in and push Reed away to prevent any further contact. Reed responded by grabbing the man and throwing him to the floor of the train, leading to a physical altercation between the two until the emergency button was pressed, and the train stopped at the Grand station.
After the altercation, Reed briefly exited the train, returned to retrieve his phone, and left again. Police officers arrived at the scene and detained him at the Grand station, where both victims positively identified him.
Despite the identification at the scene, no criminal charges were initially pursued until after Reed’s involvement in the fire attack last month. Chicago police revealed that the March incident had been under investigation for eight months and was concluded following the more recent attack.
Reed now faces two counts of aggravated battery of a transit passenger in connection with the March incident. However, due to being in federal custody, he will be transported to court by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Team on April 14 for further proceedings.
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