Chicago man indicted on additional arson charge tied to City Hall fire and train attack
Lawrence Reed, 50, faces an arson-related count over a Nov. 14 City Hall fire days before the Nov. 17 assault on a woman on a Chicago Blue Line train; he already faced a terrorism charge in connection with the train attack.
A Chicago man, Lawrence Reed, 50, was indicted on an additional charge alleging he maliciously damaged and attempted to damage City Hall by fire on Nov. 14, days before prosecutors say he doused a woman with gasoline on a Chicago Blue Line train and tried to ignite the liquid on Nov. 17. Reed already faced a terrorism charge in connection with the train attack, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Prosecutors said the Nov. 14 arson attempt outside City Hall did not spread beyond the initial flames or cause damage. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the act, saying that violence has no place in politics.
An arrest affidavit from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives describes the train attack as Reed approaching a 26-year-old woman who sat with her back to him, dousing her with gasoline and then chasing her as she ran the length of the car. The woman fought off the man as he tried to ignite the liquid, and Reed allegedly lit the bottle and set her on fire before pursuing her further. Surveillance video from the train was shown in a November court proceeding, at which a judge kept Reed jailed pending trial on the train-attack charges. Reed’s unusual courtroom behavior during that hearing—shouting that he wanted to plead guilty—also drew national attention.
The indictment adding the arson charge to the existing terrorism case comes as prosecutors seek to tie the two incidents together and pursue the most serious penalties available. The train-attack case remains under federal or state jurisdiction, with prosecutors signaling that the terrorism count could carry a life sentence if convicted.
Court records dating back more than 30 years illustrate Reed’s frequent contact with law enforcement in and around Chicago, providing context for the long-running attention the case has drawn. While officials have not offered a comprehensive motive, officials have stressed that the incidents occurred in the city’s political and public spaces, underscoring concerns about violence intersecting with civic life.
The case continues as investigators review additional evidence and prepare for forthcoming court dates. In Chicago, Mayor Johnson and other city leaders have emphasized the importance of safety and the protection of public spaces while ensuring that the legal process proceeds without interference or sensationalism. The proceedings follow a pattern familiar to other high-profile cases in which violent acts linked to political contexts prompt national scrutiny and a careful, measured legal response.