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Woman, 26, in Critical Condition After Being Set on Fire on Chicago Train Following Heated Fight
Updated on November 21, 2025
A 26-year-old woman is in critical condition after she was set on fire while riding the train in Chicago.
After the incident took place on Monday, November 17, police said a person of interest was taken into custody on Tuesday, November 18, according to NBC News. However, no further details have been shared about the suspect.
Police initially said that the woman was riding a Chicago Transit Authority train on the night of November 17 when she got into an argument with a man who was approximately 45 years old.
The verbal altercation escalated and it turned physical when the man poured a liquid on the woman, ignited it and set her on fire. Police said it is not currently clear what liquid the man poured on the victim in order to start the fire.
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The suspect managed to flee the scene when the train stopped at a station, while the woman also exited the train and fell to the ground while she was still on fire.
Authorities also confirmed that the fire was put out before police arrived at the scene.
The woman was taken to Stroger hospital in critical condition after she sustained severe burns all over her body. Police have confirmed that an investigation into the incident remains ongoing as of time of publication.
On Wednesday, November 19, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois announced that a man named Lawrence Reed was charged with “committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system.”
While it was initially reported that the suspect and victim got into an argument that led to her being set on fire, the office’s statement did not mention that an argument took place between the two.
On Friday, November 21, a judge determined that Reed, 50, will stay in custody until his trial because he’s believed to be a threat to the public, according to ABC News.
One witness opened up about the experience while talking to NBC Chicago. One person told the outlet that the woman appeared to be in a “really bad state” as she was taken to the hospital.
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“I just saw a lady that was laying in the ground, and they were trying to give her CPR,” the witness recalled. “And she looked like she was in an awful lot of pain.”
Another witness told Fox Chicago, “Just seeing her lying on the ground, and she was kind of hyperventilating and in a lot of pain. You could tell she was in really bad shape. All the medics were down there, and there was a big turnout as far as responders and so forth.”
The train lines were shut down for hours following the incident, while service eventually resumed around 1:30 a.m.
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