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,