Missouri investigators look into motive for series of fire set at black churches

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Missouri investigators look into motive for series of fire set at black churches

Associated Press in St Louis
Monday 19 October 2015 22.12 BST

Investigators in Missouri are trying to determine the cause of mysterious fires this month at predominantly black churches in the St Louis area.

Investigators have no suspects or motives. But the possibility of a hate crime – for religious or racial reasons – “is part of the dynamic” of the investigation, St Louis fire captain Garon Mosby said.

The fires began 8 October and have all happened within a few miles of each other in north St Louis city and county. Six churches have been damaged; five of the churches are predominantly black and one is racially mixed. In each case, the front doors were set on fire. Damage has ranged from virtually nothing at one church to the near destruction of another.

Church leaders said Monday that they are focused on healing, not speculating about blame.

“This is a spiritually sick person,” said the Reverend David Triggs, whose New Life Missionary Baptist Church in St Louis was sent on fire on Saturday. “This is a sin issue. It’s not a race issue.”

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/19/missouri-st-louis-black-church-fires-investigation

[Half-Century Man]

1. I would hazard a guess, the same motivation for AA churches were burned and blown up in the sixties.

Racist terrorism.
This is a mystery akin to "wheres my belly button?".

[randys1]

2. The cop who murdered Michael Brown and his DA and the local police woke up some

racist punks who are now out terrorizing Black people.

This is why that filthy racist prick DA needs to be removed.

Guys like that are why these neanderthals do what they do.

[Journeyman]

3. The article says the ATF "has jurisdiction over fires at all houses of worship" . . .

Good that it's a federal agency leading the investigation, but why should the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have jurisdiction over a local fire?

[qwlauren35]

4. "Look for Motive"???

Fer cryin' out loud. Just catch whoever did it. Put out a hotline, post some cameras... if you're not sure what the motive is, you haven't lived in the USA long enough.