A church was set on fire in Mississippi and “Vote Trump” was spraypainted on the side.
“Vote Trump” is becoming a racial epitaph and the official slogan for bigots.
CNN reports:
A 911 call reporting the fire at Hopewell Baptist Church in Greenville came in at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze.Most of the damage to the 111-year-old church was to the sanctuary, pastor Carilyn Hudson said at a news conference.“We do believe that God will allow us to build another sanctuary in that same place,” she said, though the extent of the damage was unclear.There were no reports of injuries; no one had been in the building since about 1 p.m. Tuesday, Hudson said.
Investigators continue to collect evidence, and there are no suspects yet, Greenville Police Chief Delando Wilson said at the news conference. Later, Wilson told CNN that police brought in a person of interest Wednesday afternoon and “are interviewing this person to determine if they had any participation in this event or if we can clear them.” Police are investigating multiple motives, including that the fire could be a hate crime.Fire Chief Ruben Brown said an investigation led to the conclusion that the fire was intentional.
Not sure what other clues the police need to see that this is a very intentional hate crime.
The community that the church sits in is 78 percent Black. In September, Greenville residents witnessed another racially-charged crime when someone spraypainted “nigger” on the city’s boat ramp.
This event comes just days after the Ku Klux Klan officially endorsed Donald Trump for President. Donald Trump has yet to separate himself from the Klan’s support, nor has he reprimanded his supporters for their acts of violence against others. Instead, he has encouraged it at his rallies.
A GoFundMe account was set up to help the church rebuild. They asked for $10,000 but have garnered more than $171,000 already.
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Photo: Screenshot
