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Chicago man with 72 prior arrests pleads guilty in fiery attack on woman
A 50-year-old Chicago man accused of dousing a 26-year-old woman with gasoline and setting her ablaze last week pleaded guilty in a dramatic courtroom outburst Monday, as the White House blamed Illinois' Democratic leaders for his release under the state's controversial no-cash-bail law.
Attack and victim's condition
Lawrence Reed allegedly approached Bethany MaGee from behind on a train car on 17 November, splashing her with gasoline before igniting it as she fled, prosecutors said. Surveillance footage reportedly showed Reed watching as MaGee rolled on the ground, engulfed in flames, in an attempt to extinguish the fire. MaGee survived but remains hospitalized with life-threatening burns, according to a White House statement.
The criminal complaint states MaGee was "minding her own business and reading her phone" when Reed, arriving from the rear of the train, doused her with accelerant and pursued her while lighting the remaining liquid in the bottle.
Suspect's criminal history and mental health
Records show Reed has been arrested 72 times since turning 18, with eight felony convictions and seven misdemeanors, per CBS News. In August, he was charged with aggravated battery for allegedly assaulting a social worker but was released with electronic monitoring despite prosecutors' objections. Authorities have noted his long-documented struggles with mental illness.
During Monday's hearing, Reed shouted "I'm guilty" three times after the judge warned he faced a potential life sentence on charges including committing a terrorist attack, according to courtroom reports.
Political fallout over bail reform
The White House seized on the case to criticize Illinois' elimination of cash bail-a policy championed by Democratic Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson-calling it "radical and dangerous." In a Tuesday statement, the administration claimed Reed "was walking free because of the no cash bail law" and accused Johnson of supporting "defund-the-police" policies.
Johnson, who introduced a 2020 nonbinding resolution to redirect police funding as a county commissioner, has since distanced himself from the "defund" label. In a statement last week, he called the attack "an absolute failure of our criminal justice as well as our mental health institutions" and acknowledged Reed's "clear" mental health challenges posed risks to the community.
"This should have never happened."
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, 21 November 2025
Broader context: Bail reform and public safety debates
The incident reignites tensions over Illinois' Pretrial Fairness Act, which abolished cash bail in 2023. President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold federal funds from the state, framing the policy as enabling repeat offenders. Critics argue the law fails to account for defendants with violent histories or severe mental health crises, while supporters contend it reduces systemic bias against low-income defendants.
Reed's case-marked by his extensive rap sheet, recent release, and the severity of the attack-is likely to feature prominently in ongoing debates over pretrial detention, mental health intervention, and urban crime policies ahead of the 2026 midterms.
