The Tragic Failure Behind the Lawrence Reed / Bethany MaGee Case

The System Failed And an Innocent Woman Paid the Price

The Tragic Case of Bethany MaGee / Lawrence Reed and Why We Need To Change Civil Commitment Laws

When violent repeat offenders are allowed to roam freely despite years of warning signs, innocent people are left feeling like they are playing Russian roulette just to get to work. We have to bring back asylums . We have to change civil commitment laws . A few months after a woman was randomly stabbed in the neck and died on a train in North Carolina. Now we have a woman that was randomly set on fire on a train in Chicago. On November 17, 2025, Chicago saw one of the most horrific acts of random violence in recent memory. Bethany MaGee a 26-year-old woman was riding the CTA Blue Line when a man Lawrence Reed. Poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. She was left fighting for her life. As shocking as this attack was, it should not have been a surprise. It was the predictable result of a system that ignored every warning sign for decades.This case is a clear example of why America urgently needs a new approach to mental health, violent repeat offenders, and public safety.

A 30-Year History of Violence That the System Ignored

Public records show Reed has been arrested over 72 times since the mid 1990s. Many of his attacks were random and unprovoked:

Punching strangers near libraries and transit stations
Assaulting people at bus and train stops
Setting fires, including a major arson attack on the Thompson Center
Attacking a social worker in a psychiatric and behavioral health unit
Making erratic, delusional statements in court

Despite this long, violent history, Reed was repeatedly released back onto the streets again and again until tragedy finally struck.

This is not a policing issue.

It is not a partisan issue.

This is a system failure.

Mental Health Red Flags the System Chose to Ignore

There are several undeniable indicators that something was seriously wrong:

He was sentenced to two years of mental health probation after a 2020 arson case.
He assaulted staff inside a hospital psychiatric unit in 2025.
His court behavior was disorganized and irrational.
Many of his attacks had no motive just sudden violence against strangers.

These are exactly the types of warning signs that our system refuses to act on until after a tragedy occurs. And innocent people pay the price.

The Real Problem: A System That Can’t Intervene Until It’s Too Late

Most states including Washington have civil commitment laws that make intervention nearly impossible until someone is:

an imminent threat, or
already causing serious harm.

In practice, that means people like Reed are left untreated until they hurt someone.At the same time, courts release violent offenders with:

probation
supervision
or immediate release
even when the person has a documented history of dangerous, irrational behavior.

This deadly combination has created a public safety crisis in cities across America.

How My Plan Would Prevent Cases Like This

My campaign is advancing the Homeless Recovery and Rehabilitation Act (HRRA) and the State Mental Health Restoration and Oversight Act. These proposals would:

1. Allow earlier intervention for people showing long patterns of dangerous behavior

No more waiting until a violent attack occurs.

2. Build secure, long-term treatment facilities

Humane, professional, structured environments not jails and not the streets.

3. Create a modern legal framework for repeat violent offenders with mental health histories

So courts can act before someone is killed or seriously injured.

4. Protect the public while helping people who clearly cannot live safely on their own.

This is compassionate.

This is necessary.

This is common sense.

A System That Protects No One Helps No One

The CTA attack could have been prevented.

The warning signs were all there.

The system simply refused to act.

How many more tragedies will it take before leaders admit that what we’re doing is not working?

America needs a mental health and public safety system that intervenes before disaster. Not after it. This campaign is committed to building that system. Because no family should have to suffer like the family of Bethany MaGee . And no community should have to live in fear because the government refuses to deal with reality.

There is always a lot of shock and anger. Every time a case like this happens. A lot of angry keyboard warriors calling for the death of Reed. Zero chance of that happening. He might not even be deemed mentally competent to go to trial. And they are thousands of people just like him. But let’s say they put him on trial next week. Let’s say he is convicted and put to death . And it is shown on national television. It will do nothing to stop the thousands of others from attacking people. If the system is not changed. They will be no justice. Let’s not wait until the next innocent person loses their life. Some people say they don’t want to spend money to build asylums. Some people say they don’t want to pay to feed and house these people. But that’s exactly what happening now. We just want until after they take an innocent life. Then we pay to feed and house them in prison.Let’s make the death of Bethany MaGee be the wake up call this country needs. The truth is the entire nation is responsible for the death of Bethany MaGee . And what happened to her will keep happening to innocent people. Until we do what is necessary to stop it from happening.

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