Chicago prosecutors on Saturday said a man accused of killing four people by torching an apartment building started the blaze after learning his friend and his ex-girlfriend were dating.
Cook County prosecutors said Lontray Clark, 23, tossed a Molotov cocktail into the apartment complex last month and started a deadly fire that also injured four people, including a boy who is still fighting for his life. Mr. Clark’s ex-girlfriend and his friend escaped the fire.
Among those killed was pregnant mother Regina Brown Henry, 32; her son Jayceon Henry, 5; and Ms. Henry’s 28-year-old sister, Destiny Brown Henry. Authorities said Brad Cummings, 76, also died in the fire.
“The defendant did this knowing people were home at the time, quite possibly in their beds, unaware of the destruction happening around them put together by the defendant’s hands as his anger rose,” Cook County Judge Shauna Boliker said during a hearing, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Cook County Judge Shauna L. Bolicker ordered Mr. Clark to be kept behind bars as his trial progresses on charges of murder, attempted murder and arson.
Court documents said Mr. Clark spent two and a half years in prison in 2021 for carrying a gun while having a revoked firearm ID card.
Prosecutors said Mr. Clark started the fire around 2 a.m. June 26, after enlisting his cousin to help gather materials the night before.
The pair filled a bottle with gasoline from a gas station, bought a lighter, a long-sleeve shirt and a face mask from a grocery store, and then parked in an alleyway by the building.
Authorities said Mr. Clark went inside the building and ignited the firebomb while his cousin sat in the car. The cousin told police that Mr. Clark ran back to the vehicle soon afterward and said, “I just lit the house on fire.”
Mr. Clark went to his grandfather’s house and trashed his clothes. He was arrested on Thursday in Springfield.
Prosecutors said Destiny Brown’s 4-year-old son remains in grave condition after being severely burned. A 65-year-old woman, a 23-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man were also injured in the blaze.
