Police and federal authorities are investigating a suspected arson at the Museum of African American History in Boston, where a package containing Juneteenth materials was set on fire outside the institution this week. The incident occurred around 8 am on Wednesday at the African Meeting House site on Beacon Hill.
Security footage shows a man opening the package, dispersing some of its contents, and igniting items in an alley behind the building. The materials were intended for the museum’s upcoming Juneteenth celebration, according to museum president and CEO Noelle Trent.
Investigação em curso
Authorities delay classification of the case as a hate crime, though the context and target have raised concerns for officials. The Boston Police Department, the National Park Service and civil rights groups are collaborating to identify a possible bias motive.
Investigators released images of a suspect described as a white man wearing a dark jacket, dark pants and white sneakers, and are asking the public for help in the identification. The museum site includes the African Meeting House, the oldest surviving Black church building in the United States, and the adjacent Abiel Smith School.
Entre na conversa da comunidade