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Prosecutors say Lawrence Reed, 50, “maliciously damaged and
attempted to damage and destroy, by means of fire,” Chicago’s
City Hall building on Nov. 14, according to court records
released Thursday.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson described the Nov. 14 arson
attempt days after it occurred, saying someone tried to start a
fire outside of the building but that it did not spread beyond
the initial flames or cause damage.
“It goes without saying that this type of violence has no place
in our politics,” Johnson said.
In connection with the Nov. 17 train attack, Reed was charged in
November with committing a terrorist attack, which carries a
maximum penalty of life in prison.
Reed was sitting at the back of a Chicago Blue Line L train when
he approached the woman as she sat with her back to him and
doused her with gasoline, according to a Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrest affidavit.
The 26-year-old woman fought off the man as he tried to ignite
the gas, then ran from one end of the car to the other as Reed
chased her, an investigator said in the affidavit, citing
surveillance video from the train. Reed then ignited the bottle,
approached the woman and set her on fire, according to the
affidavit.
Images from the surveillance video were presented in court in
November before a judge agreed to keep Reed in jail pending
trial for the attack, which has garnered national attention. The
hearing also confirmed a variety of court and law enforcement
records dating back more than 30 years that detail 50-year-old
Lawrence Reed’s frequent contact with police in and around
Chicago.
Reed's unusual courtroom behavior, including shouting “I plead
guilty!” repeatedly as the judge spoke, also made national
headlines.
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