A 26‑year‑old Chicago woman has been identified as Bethany MaGee, the victim of a brutal arson attack on the subway earlier this month. Police say the blaze was set by a 50‑year‑old man with a long criminal record.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted a grim message on social media Sunday, saying: “It is devastating that a career criminal with 72 PRIOR ARRESTS is now accused of attacking 26‑year‑old Bethany MaGee on Chicago’s L train, and setting her on fire.” Duffy added, “This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the streets,” referring to Lawrence Reed, who faces federal terrorism charges over the attack.
Duffy went on to criticize the city’s policies, stating, “Chicago’s carelessness is putting the American people at risk. No one should ever have to fear for their life on the subway,” a sharp rebuke of what he calls the Windy City’s soft‑on‑crime stance that allowed a dangerous felon free.
The CTA incident has drawn stark parallels with the September knife‑murder captured on camera of 23‑year‑old Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, North Carolina. Zarutska was tragically killed on a Blue Line train by Decarlos Brown Jr., a 34‑year‑old schizophrenic who had been released on cashless bail after a magistrate accepted a “written promise” that he would appear in court—despite nearly two decades of violent and mental‑health problems.
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