Four people were killed and several others injured in a fire allegedly started by a man driven by jealousy after he discovered his former partner was now dating his friend. Reports say the suspect threw a Molotov cocktail inside an apartment in a fit of rage.
The arson suspect, 23-year-old Lontray Clark, was arrested last week in Chicago for the deadly blaze in the Austin district. Along with claiming four lives, the fire on June 26 injured several others and left dozens displaced. Reports confirmed that neither Clark’s former girlfriend nor his friend was killed in the attack.
A family was killed in the fire: a 27-year-old mother, Destiny Henry, died while her four-year-old son was critically injured and was hospitalised. Destiny’s sister, 32-year-old Regina Brown Henry, also lost her life. Regina was three months pregnant at the time, and she had a five-year-old son, Jayceon, who was also killed in the fire. Long-time community journalist Brad Cummings also perished in the flames.
The motive, prosecutors said, stemmed from Clark seeing a selfie of his ex-girlfriend with his friend. Fuelled by jealousy, Clark reportedly filled an antifreeze bottle with gasoline, bought a face covering, and made his way to the apartment. A witness, who is also his cousin, told investigators that Clark confessed shortly after the fire was set, allegedly saying, “I just lit the house on fire.”
Now facing multiple felony charges, including four counts of first-degree murder and aggravated arson, Clark appeared before a Cook County judge on Saturday. The judge denied bond, citing Clark as a danger to the community.
Clark’s public defender claimed there was no surveillance footage of the incident linking him to the crime and argued that while he has previous convictions, they did not reflect violent behaviour. But for the families left behind, those arguments mean little. Reverend George Smith Jr., a relative of three victims, said, “We’re grateful, but, however, that still cannot replace the lives that were lost of this senseless crime.”
Additionally, the judge has granted an order of protection for Clark’s ex-girlfriend. Clark’s case continued in court on Monday.