Suspect arrested in the case of three Black church fires in Louisiana

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Suspect Arrested For Black Church Fires In Louisiana

Recently we reported about three mysterious fires at Black churches in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana that happened over the course of 10 days. Today we can finally report that the police have arrested a suspect.

According to WSB-TV, the suspect has not been publicly identified but ABCNews reported that the person is a 21-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy. Which would explain why they don’t want to identify him. A cop’s son burning down Black churches? Yeah, they already know how we’ll react to that.

Here’s what U.S. Attorney David Joseph had to say:

“A suspect has been identified in connection with the three church burnings in Opelousas, Louisiana, and is in state custody,” Joseph said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, and FBI are working with state and local law enforcement and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the victims and those St. Landry Parish residents affected by these despicable acts.

NAACP President/CEO Derrick Johnson also shared some thoughts:

“For decades, African-American churches have served as the epicenter of survival and a symbol of hope for many in the African-American community,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said. “As a consequence, these houses of faith have historically been the targets of violence.”

“What is happening in Tennessee and Louisiana is domestic terrorism and we must not turn a blind eye to any incident where people are targeted because of the color of their skin and their faith,” Johnson said. “The spike in church burnings in the Southern states is a reflection of emboldened racial rhetoric and tension spreading across the country.”

Now we only hope that he actually goes to prison if he’s found guilty.