Fire At Black Church In Massachusetts Could Possibly Be A Hate Crime, Officials Say

KEY POINTS

The fire broke out at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church in Springfield on Monday
Authorities believe the church fire could potentially be a hate crime because it erupted overnight
Local, state and federal authorities are investigating the incident

A fire that broke out Monday early morning at a Black church in Massachusetts is being investigated as a possible arson, authorities said.

Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church in Springfield at around 5 a.m. ET on Monday. It took the officials about an hour to contain the blaze, which caused severe damages to the property, leaving it unusable.

Officials suspect it to be a possible case of hate crime since the fire started overnight. Investigations were on to determine if the incident was linked to some minor fires reported in the area in the past few weeks. "This morning's fire is highly suspicious," Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi told local news outlet Mass Live. "There have been several nuisance fires in that neighborhood that we've been looking into."

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has offered a $5,000 reward for information regarding the cause of the fire, the outlet reported.

The Springfield Fire Department said the interior of the church was completely damaged in the fire.

14 Concord Ter. Second alarm was struck. Fire has been extinguished Springfield Arson And Bomb Squad is investigating with assistance from the State Police Arson And Bomb Squad and the A.T.F. Division. pic.twitter.com/JsCL8nJf9E
— SPRINGFIELD FIRE (@SFD_HQ) December 28, 2020

The Springfield Police Department and the FBI are interrogating witnesses for any leads. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Massachusetts State Police have also joined the investigation, according to NBC News.

The church was erected in 1979 and its roof was recently replaced through a fundraising campaign. "It's terrible that someone tried to burn down Martin Luther King Community Presbyterian Church," Sarno told Mass Live.

In November, a Louisiana man was handed a 25-year sentence for setting three Black churches on fire. Holden Matthews, 23, was convicted of carrying out arsons in three churches, St. Mary Baptist Church, Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in 2019. Authorities said Matthews had links with the global black metal music community, which has a history of instigating church fires in other parts of the world.