A “highly suspicious” overnight fire in a black church in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Monday, is being investigated by local and federal officials.
Firefighters responded to a call at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church at about 5 am Monday morning, according to Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi. It took about an hour to put out the fire, leaving the church “unusable” due to the damage.
“It is highly suspect,” said Calvi. “There have been three other fires in this general area in the past three weeks.”
Firefighters are working to eliminate any possible accidental causes as Springfield Police and FBI investigators investigate the area for possible witness leads in the area. The Massachusetts Office of Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco and the Massachusetts State Police Fire and Bombardier Squad are also helping with the investigation.
“It’s a church that burns at night, so it’s a potential hate crime,” said Calvi on Monday.
The church was founded in 1979 and is currently led by Reverend Dr. Terrlyn L. Curry Avery, according to its website. Ronn Johnson, with Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, told NBC affiliate WWLP that the church roof was recently replaced through a fundraising campaign for the congregation.
Authorities are asking anyone with details about the fire to contact the arson hotline at 800-682-9229, with a $ 5,000 reward offered for information leading to the cause of the fire.
