A tragic and deliberately set fire in the Austin community in Chicago claimed the lives of four people, a pregnant woman and her small boy, on June 26, 2025. The fire, which went on to break out about 2 a.m. in a three-story apartment building at 5222 West North Avenue, was the result of an arson assault that was started because someone was envious. The suspect, 23-year-old Lontray Clark, was taken into custody and faces several felony charges, including first-degree murder and aggravated arson.
The blaze erupted in the early hours, rapidly engulfing the apartment building and necessitating a massive emergency response. Initially, a standard call escalated to a 3-11 alarm, drawing approximately 140 firefighters to combat the flames. Prosecutors revealed that Clark orchestrated the attack after seeing a Snapchat selfie posted by his ex-girlfriend, taken inside the apartment of his friend, her new boyfriend. Enraged by this discovery, Clark set out to exact revenge through a meticulously planned arson.
Around 12:20 a.m., Clark enlisted his cousin to assist in the plot. The pair first stopped at a BP gas station, where Clark filled a yellow antifreeze container with gasoline. They then visited a convenience store, where Clark purchased a black shirt, face mask, and lighter—items he would use to disguise himself and ignite the blaze.
Driving to an alley behind the apartment building, Clark donned the black shirt and mask, armed himself with the gasoline, and approached his target. He set fires in multiple locations, including the exterior courtyard and the stairwells of the second and third floors, ensuring the blaze would spread quickly. After returning to the car, Clark chillingly told his cousin,
“I lit they house on fire.”
The fire claimed four lives, leaving a profound mark on the community:
- Regina Brown Henry, 32, who was three months pregnant at the time of her death
- Jayceon Henry, 5, Regina’s son
- Destiny Brown Henry, 28, Regina’s sister
- Brad Cummings, 76, the longtime editor of The Austin Voice newspaper
Clark’s intended targets—his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend—narrowly escaped through a window after waking to flames and smoke. However, several other residents were injured, including Destiny’s 4-year-old son, Kyle, who remains in critical condition with severe burns and head trauma.

The Chicago Police Department, in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), launched a thorough investigation into the suspicious fire. Utilizing surveillance footage, cell phone records, and forensic evidence, authorities pieced together Clark’s movements and motives.
Destiny’s cousin, Latyra Goodman, said Destiny re-entered the burning building to save Kyle, unaware he had already been dropped from a window to safety.
“If my cousin knew her son was already out of the window, she would have been here right now,”
Goodman said.
On July 9, 2025, Clark was apprehended in Springfield, Illinois, by the Chicago Police Department’s Area Five Homicide Investigation Support Team. He faces a litany of charges, including:
- Eight counts of first-degree murder
- Four counts of aggravated arson
- Two counts of attempted murder
- One count of residential arson
Clark appeared before Cook County Judge Shauna Boliker on July 12, 2025, for his detention hearing. Labeling the alleged crime a “brazen disregard for life,” Judge Boliker ordered Clark held without bail. Prosecutors emphasized the devastating toll of his actions, noting that “a 5-year-old will never have a chance to grow up.” The judge agreed that Clark posed a significant danger to the community, ensuring he remains in custody pending trial.
The fire displaced 27 families, many of whom were left with little more than the clothes on their backs. The loss of Brad Cummings, a beloved figure and the editor of The Austin Voice, struck a profound chord in the Austin neighborhood. The Henry family, reeling from the deaths of Regina, Jayceon, and Destiny, offered a $5,000 reward through Rev. George Smith Jr. for information leading to an arrest. Smith, a relative of three victims, shared the family’s anguish:
“I’m really at a loss for words about my three cousins’ deaths…it hurts so bad. They lived life to the fullest.”
Survivors continue to grapple with the aftermath of the tragedy. Among them is 4-year-old Kyle, who remains in grave condition, sedated and intubated as he battles severe burns and head trauma. The Austin community mourns not only the loss of lives but also the erosion of its sense of security, forever altered by this act of violence.
During his first court appearance on Saturday, Clark was ordered to be held in Cook County jail pending trial. He is due back in court on Monday.