The young woman set on fire aboard a Chicago Blue Line train earlier this month now has a name. Federal officials identified the victim as 26-year-old Bethany MaGee, releasing her name on social media Sunday.

MaGee was attacked on Nov. 17, authorities say, when a man doused her with gasoline on a downtown-bound train and chased her through the car before lighting her on fire. She suffered burns across more than half her body. The attack unfolded in full view of passengers, some of whom scrambled out of the way as MaGee tried desperately to extinguish the flames.

The suspect, 50-year-old Lawrence Reed, was arrested the next day. Federal prosecutors have charged him with terrorism. A criminal complaint alleges Reed filled a small bottle with gas about 20 minutes before boarding the train, then approached MaGee from behind and pursued her while attempting to ignite the liquid.

Prosecutors say that once the fire caught, Reed shouted “burn [expletive]!” and “burn alive [expletive]!” as MaGee fled toward the train doors. She managed to escape at the Lake & Clark station, collapsing onto the platform while bystanders rushed to help her. Federal authorities say she sustained severe burns to her face and body.

What’s fueling public anger is Reed’s court-ordered electronic monitoring. At the time of the train attack, authorities say he was supposed to be confined because of charges tied to an August assault on a social worker at a mental health facility — an attack that left that victim unconscious and still receiving medical care. According to multiple local outlets, Reed’s record includes at least 10 felonies and dozens of arrests.
“This is an absolute failure of our criminal justice and mental health institutions,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said last week.

U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros described the surveillance footage as “difficult to watch,” noting that passengers stepped aside as MaGee struggled to extinguish herself. Federal officials echoed similar frustration, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy using MaGee’s name publicly as part of a push for more aggressive law enforcement responses to repeat violent offenders.

Reed appeared in federal court Friday, where he tried to plead guilty and asked to represent himself. The judge denied both requests, noting that the hearing was only to establish charges, and ordered him held in custody, citing the danger he poses to others.

As MaGee remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, the case has become the latest flashpoint in Chicago’s long debate over public safety — and whether the systems meant to protect people are doing the job at all.