Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy identified the young woman who miraculously survived a horrific attack on board a Chicago train when she was doused with gasoline and set on fire by a career criminal with an extensive history of arrests.
The shocking incident took place last Monday at around 9:30 p.m. The 26-year-old was minding her own business while looking at her phone when she was approached by a stranger who threw the liquid on her and ignited it, repeatedly shouting “burn alive b***h,” as bystanders watched the terrifying scene unfold.
The victim was able to flee the train before collapsing on the platform and being taken to a hospital with severe burns. 50-year-old Marcus Reed, a lifelong thug with 72 arrests, was arrested and is facing federal terrorism charges. The suspect should never have been on board the train, but was put back on the streets months ago by a leftist judge after he attacked a social worker.
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.
This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the… https://t.co/1vaHyCd8sp
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) November 23, 2025
“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 wrote in a Sunday post to X.
“This would never have happened if this thug had been behind bars. Yet Chicago lets repeat offenders roam the streets,” he added. “Chicago’s carelessness is putting the American people at risk. No one should ever have to fear for their life on the subway.”
(Video Credit: ABC7 Chicago)
Surveillance cameras captured Reed filling a small container with gasoline at a convenience store about 20 minutes before carrying out the barbarous act.
“Reed approached the victim, who was seated with her back towards him, took the cap off a bottle of liquid and poured the liquid all over the victim’s head and body, the complaint states,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
“The victim ran, but Reed caught up with her, at which point he ignited the bottle, and it fell out of his hand onto the floor, the complaint states. Reed picked up the bottle that was now on fire, approached the victim, and used the bottle to light her on fire, the complaint states. The victim was engulfed in flames but was able to depart the train. She remains hospitalized with critical injuries,” the statement reads.
“This horrific attack was not just a barbaric assault on an innocent woman riding a train, but an act of terrorism that strikes at the core of our American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will take immediate and resolute action to bring swift justice to the victim while safeguarding the public as well as the fabric of our society,” Boutros vowed.
According to the Daily Mail, the Indiana native “is an animal lover and churchgoer, who is close to her parents Emily and Gregory, and two brothers Mark and John, her social media profiles revealed. Her father, Dr Gregory MaGee, is a professor of Biblical studies at Taylor University, a Christian college in Indiana.”
The attack is yet another example of the lawlessness that continues to plague the Windy City, where racist Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson is fighting a pitched battle against the Trump administration to prevent a federal crackdown on rampant crime. It came days before a shooting in Chicago’s Loop after a Christmas tree lighting celebration that claimed the life of one person.
The heinous burning of Bethany MaGee had an eerie similarity to another attack on a helpless young woman by a vicious black criminal with an extensive rap sheet.
In August, 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska was stabbed to death by Decarlos Brown Jr. while onboard the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, NC, an incident that shocked the nation and underscored the sad reality that Democrat-controlled cities are no longer safe, with activist judges refusing to allow violent predators to be locked up in prison where they belong.
We didn’t forget about Iryna Zarutska pic.twitter.com/CIZf2bMhZ1
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 22, 2025
“As President Trump has long said, violent crime in Chicago is out of control,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told the Daily Mail. “Local Democrat leaders, like (Illinois Governor JB) Pritzker, should spend their time addressing violent crime and welcoming the president’s help on the issue instead of succumbing to their Trump Derangement Syndrome and letting violent crime run rampant.”
“This tragic crime should have never happened, and it sadly highlights the dangers of Democrat control,” Jackson said.
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