HUMBOLDT PARK (WBBM Newsradio) -- Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson called this week's burning of a woman on a CTA train "horrific," and described it as an isolated incident.
After a tour of a Salvation Army food pantry and facility in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, the mayor told reporters he hopes everyone involved in Monday night's attack on a Blue Line train can heal.
"It's a tragedy ... one of the worst of its kind," the mayor said Wednesday morning at the Salvation Army Freedom Center, 825 N. Christiana.
Federal authorities say 50-year-old Lawrence Reed dumped liquid on a woman riding the train and set her on fire as passengers looked on. Agents arrested him the next day, and the mayor praised their swift action.
"That's exactly the type of accountability we call for in every act of violence," the mayor said. "I trust that the federal level will do its part."
He also noted the city's and CTA's efforts to improve safety for riders and workers: "We want people to feel safe when they ride."
Authorities say Reed never should have been on the streets. The mayor responded by saying he's working to direct more resources to mental health services across Chicago.