A Chicago man is facing murder and arson charges after allegedly setting fire to his friend’s apartment building last month, killing four strangers, including a pregnant mother and her 5-year-old son, after discovering the friend was dating his ex-girlfriend, according to police.
Lontray Clark, 23, is accused of setting fire to a building in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on June 26, according to police and fire officials. He faces charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated arson, and other felonies.
Clark made his first court appearance on Saturday, with prosecutors revealing details about the alleged motive and bringing up text messages in which Clark allegedly called out his ex-girlfriend for posting a Snapchat photo with this friend, according to local CBS affiliate WBBM. Clark allegedly went to the friend’s building after seeing the photo.
“They were arguing earlier, and the next thing you know, he was at the building throwing a Molotov cocktail in the front, then another at the back door,” West Side Alderwoman Emma Mitts told the Chicago Sun-Times. “He threw the first one, followed by another. So they were trapped. They never got a chance.”
Prosecutors say the four people killed in the fire had no connection to Clark or his friend. They have been identified as Brad Cummings, 76, editor of the Austin newspaper The Voice; Destiny Henry, 28; Regina Henry, 32; and Jayceon Henry, her son. Destiny was Regina’s sister.
After seeing the photo of his ex-girlfriend and her friend, Clark allegedly picked up a cousin and drove to a gas station to fill an antifreeze bottle with gasoline, which he then used to make a Molotov cocktail.
The two allegedly bought black clothing, a face mask, and a lighter before driving to the apartment building and throwing the Molotov cocktail at it.
Prosecutors say the cousin later told police that Clark started the fire and admitted it to him, saying, “I just lit the house on fire.” Clark’s public defender noted on Saturday that there is no surveillance video of her client committing the crime.
According to fire officials, the fire broke out around 1:50 a.m., and the girlfriend and friend who were the targets were able to escape through a window, WBBM reports.
At least four people were injured and taken to local hospitals, including Destiny Henry’s 4-year-old son Kyle, who was in critical condition on Saturday after suffering head trauma and facial and body burns.
Approximately 140 firefighters responded.
“It is something that could have been avoided,” Romney said. “I am not sure what goes through people’s heads. They should be locked up, and the key thrown away behind all of that.”
