Criminal Justice and Bail

Lawrence Reed was federally charged with terrorism after prosecutors say he bought gasoline about 20 minutes before allegedly dousing and setting a woman ablaze aboard a CTA Blue Line train around 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 17; the victim, identified as 26‑year‑old Bethany MaGee, remains in critical condition after two bystanders extinguished her on the Clark & Lake platform. A judge ordered Reed detained pending trial — investigators recovered a partially melted bottle, a lighter and clear liquid at the scene, and prosecutors cited his extensive criminal history (about 72 arrests and roughly 15 convictions) and repeated electronic‑monitoring violations in the days before the attack.