Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is now reportedly pointing fingers at the criminal-justice system after a horrifying attack on a rapid-transit train Monday night, calling the incident a “failure” even as critics note the city’s long-running leniency toward violent offenders.
At a Thursday city hall press conference, Johnson described the situation bluntly: “This is an absolute failure of our criminal justice system as well as our mental health institutions.”
Authorities say the attack occurred aboard a Blue Line train near downtown Chicago when 50-year-old Lawrence Reed allegedly poured gasoline on a 26-year-old woman and set her on fire. The woman remains hospitalized and fighting for her life. Reed has been charged with a federal terrorism offense against a mass transit system. During his Wednesday court appearance, he reportedly shouted “I plead guilty” multiple times as officers restrained him.
Local reporting from ABC7 Chicago shows Reed has a long and troubling criminal history. Since 2017, he has accumulated 14 criminal cases, including multiple battery charges. In 2020, Reed was placed on 24-month mental health probation after setting a fire outside a Chicago building — a warning sign that, as the mayor acknowledged, went unaddressed.
“This individual was charged with dozens of felonies over the past three decades,” Johnson said, noting his extensive criminal background and severe mental-health issues. “He was clearly, seriously mentally disturbed and a danger to himself and others. The system we had failed to intervene and now we have a woman who is fighting for her life. I am praying for her.”
Illinois lawmakers passed a $1.5 billion transit funding bill in October that Johnson argues will help make mass transit safer through expanded mental-health and homelessness programs. When asked about increased law enforcement or security presence, Johnson said such measures “will be debated,” but insisted rider safety remains a “top priority.”
However, Johnson’s comments contrast sharply with his past criticism of federal crime-control efforts. When President Donald Trump attempted to deploy National Guard forces to address Chicago’s rampant crime, Johnson accused Trump of trying to “re-ignite” a civil war and condemned federal involvement in Democrat-run cities facing surges in violence.
Illinois and Chicago have continued to battle the Trump administration in court over the deployment of federal troops, and judges have ordered those forces to withdraw while the legal fight continues.
As Chicago faces a woman near death after a brutal, senseless attack allegedly carried out by a repeat offender, Johnson argues systems failed — even though the attacker’s long record, repeated warnings, and previous mental-health probation all point to years of missed opportunities for intervention.
Reed is expected to return to court on Friday.
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