The victim of a horrific attack on a Chicago train has been identified as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee, now fighting for her life with severe burns. The incident, a brutal assault that unfolded on a CTA Blue Line train, has ignited a firestorm of outrage and questions about public safety.
Authorities allege that 50-year-old Marcus Reed intentionally doused MaGee with gasoline while she was seated, absorbed in her phone, and then set her ablaze. Witnesses described a terrifying scene as MaGee desperately ran towards the back of the train car, flames engulfing her as Reed ignited the remaining gasoline.
Disturbingly, initial reports indicate that passengers largely stood by as MaGee writhed on the floor, attempting to extinguish the flames herself. It wasn’t until she stumbled off the train at Clark and Lake station, collapsing onto the platform, that bystanders intervened to finally put out the fire.
Federal prosecutors have charged Reed with committing a terrorist attack or violence against a mass transportation system. Surveillance footage reportedly shows him purchasing gasoline shortly before the attack and carrying a flaming bottle as he approached MaGee.
During his initial court appearance, Reed shockingly declared, “I plead guilty, I plead guilty, I plead guilty.” When informed of the potential for a life sentence, he responded with chilling indifference, simply stating, “It’s cool, it’s cool, it’s cool.”
The case has exposed a troubling pattern of leniency in Chicago’s criminal justice system. Reed has a staggering criminal history, with 72 prior arrests and a decades-long cycle through the courts, beginning around age 18. He has accumulated eight felony and seven misdemeanor convictions.
Just months before the train attack, Reed was charged with aggravated battery after allegedly assaulting a woman at a psychiatric hospital, yet was released with only an ankle monitor despite prosecutors’ objections. His past offenses include arson – he was previously accused of starting a fire at the Thompson Center during a COVID-19 briefing – and multiple assaults on women.
Law enforcement officials are expressing outrage, stating Reed should have been incarcerated long ago. The attack underscores the dangerous consequences of repeatedly releasing individuals with extensive criminal records back into the community, leaving innocent people vulnerable to unimaginable violence.
Bethany MaGee remains in critical condition, her future uncertain. The incident has left a city reeling, grappling with fear and demanding answers about how such a tragedy could have been prevented.
