Argument on a Chicago train turns deadly as a 26yo woman is set ablaze by a 46yo man

We have absolutely horrifying news coming out of Chicago, where a 26-year-old woman was set on fire during a physical argument with a man aboard a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) train on Monday night. This is the kind of nightmare scenario that you never want to think about happening when you’re just commuting home, and frankly, it’s chilling.

The Chicago Police Department confirmed the shocking incident happened around 9:25 PM. The victim was simply riding the train when she got into an altercation with a 45-year-old man, police said. Police statements detailed exactly how quickly and violently the situation escalated from a simple argument.

According to Fox News, the altercation became physical, and then the offender poured a liquid onto the woman before he ignited it, causing the victim to be set on fire. Just imagine the pure terror of that moment; it’s truly sickening and really terrifying to think about.

At least she survived the horrid ordeal

Once the woman was ablaze, the suspect didn’t stick around. Police said he immediately fled the scene as soon as the train stopped. The 26-year-old victim managed to get off the train, but she quickly fell to the ground once she was outside. Thankfully, the fire was put out before the first responders could even arrive, which is a small mercy in an otherwise awful situation.

Unfortunately, the victim’s condition is dire. She was rushed to a local hospital, suffering from severe burns across her body, and she remains in critical condition. One witness who saw the immediate aftermath spoke to Fox Chicago, painting a vivid picture of the suffering. They said, “Just seeing her lying on the ground, and she was kind of hyperventilating and in a lot of pain. You could tell she was in really bad shape.”

The witness added that there was a large turnout of medics and responders trying to assist her. This is awful for everyone involved, especially for the people who had to witness such a brutal and senseless attack. It’s probably one of the worst things to happen on a subway train, and rivals New York’s issues.

The Chicago Transit Authority was quick to respond to the violence, issuing a statement Monday condemning the attack. While the whole incident is still under investigation, authorities did move quickly to secure a person of interest. Police confirmed that a person of interest was taken into custody on Monday afternoon.

It’s good to see movement on the case so fast, because people deserve to feel safe when they’re using public transit. This kind of random, terrifying violence can’t be tolerated, and hopefully, this arrest means some justice is coming for the victim.