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A grotesque act of violence unfolded on a Chicago Blue Line train when prosecutors say 50-year-old Lawrence Reed allegedly doused a woman with gasoline and set her on fire while she sat minding her own business, leaving commuters shaken and a young victim fighting for her life. The attack, reported to have occurred on November 17, has rightly horrified Americans across the country and exposed the consequences of soft-on-crime policies that let dangerous repeat offenders roam free.
Federal prosecutors have since charged Reed with a terrorism offense related to violence against a mass transportation system, and court filings describe him as a violent repeat offender who was on electronic monitoring at the time of the alleged attack. Video and court documents reportedly show him buying the gasoline, carrying a lighter and yelling chilling taunts as officers took him into custody, evidence that he had no business being back on the streets.
The Biden administration’s transportation officials, under pressure from the White House and backed by President Trump’s renewed focus on public safety, have warned Chicago that federal transit funding could be withheld unless the city produces a robust safety plan and immediately strengthens law enforcement on trains. This is not political theater — federal regulators demanded a revised plan by December 19 and made clear that continued funding depends on real, measurable action to protect commuters.
Chicago’s mayor and Illinois leadership have predictably tried to turn this into a political debate rather than accept responsibility for a public-safety collapse that began long before this single horrific incident. Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have criticized the federal move as politicized, but talk won’t heal burns or restore public confidence — only decisive reforms and accountability will.
Conservatives who have been warning about the consequences of catch-and-release criminal policies were proven right yet again; the system gave “plenty of second chances,” and an innocent woman is now in the hospital because of it. Law-and-order is not a slogan — it is the basic social compact that protects hardworking Americans trying to get to work and school, and anyone who pretends otherwise is endangering lives.
If Washington and the president mean what they say about protecting everyday Americans, they should back withholding funds until Chicago demonstrates real structural reforms: more police presence, sensible bail and monitoring policies, and swift prosecution of violent recidivists. The hard truth is that cities that refuse to act will see more victims, and taxpayers should demand leaders who prioritize safety over ideology and excuses.
