Church defaced by Donald Trump graffiti was destroyed by arson: officials
Fire officials said the century-old church was fully engulfed in flames, and sustained heavy heat, smoke and water damage.
Miami: Arson was blamed Wednesday for a blaze that destroyed an African-American church in Mississippi where a slogan for Donald Trump had been spray-painted on the exterior.
A person of interest was being interrogated, officials said, after the historically black Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, a city of 35,000 people, burned Tuesday night.
-"The church was vandalized with the words 'Vote Trump' on the side,-" said mayor Errick Simmons at a press conference, describing the blaze as -"a hateful and cowardly act.-"
Fire officials said the century-old church was fully engulfed in flames, and sustained heavy heat, smoke and water damage, according to Greenville fire chief Ruben Brown, Sr.
-"The fire was intentionally set,-" Brown said.
An investigation into the fire as a possible hate crime was under way by local, state and federal officials.
-"This matter is a direct assault on people's right to freely worship,-" said Simmons.
Police chief Delando Wilson said investigators are -"currently interviewing one person of interest,-" to see if he had any involvement.
Wilson declined to give any further details in order to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
-"We are still in the preliminary stages to try and determine the motive of this crime,-" Wilson added.
-"We want to investigate every angle to determine why this act was committed.-"
Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, described the church as -"a cornerstone of this majority-Black community located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.-"
She also expressed concern that the church was vandalized so close to the November 8 presidential election.
-"The toxic rhetoric of this election cycle continues to cast a dark cloud over this election cycle,-" Clarke said.
A crowdfunding drive on the Gofundme platform aiming to raise $10,000 to restore the church had attracted more than $115,000 by Wednesday evening.
