A fire at the Hopewell Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi, is being investigated as a hate crime, with Mayor Errick Simmons saying he won't "rest until the culprit is found and fully prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
Hopewell Baptist is a historical black church with 200 members, and the fire has "left our hearts broken," Pastor Carolyn Hudson told NBC News. When firefighters arrived Tuesday night at around 9:15 p.m., they found the main sanctuary up in flames and "Vote Trump" spray painted on an outside wall. Hudson said the church hasn't received any threats recently. Investigators believe this is an act of arson, and the city's police chief said that while there is no surveillance footage of the fire being set, they are talking with a person of interest. No arrests have been made.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Trump tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China rattle marketsSpeed read The tariffs on America's top three trading partners are expected to raise the prices of everything from gas and cars to tomatoes and tequila
-
Elon Musk operatives access US payment system, aidSpeed Read The Trump administration has given Musk's team access to the Treasury payment system, allowing him to track and control government spending
-
Today's political cartoons - February 3, 2025Cartoons Monday's cartoons - TikTok on the hook, DEI dumped, and more
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 yearsSpeed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year
-
Police ID driver of exploded Cybertruck, can't see motiveSpeed Read An Army Green Beret detonated a homemade bomb in a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas
-
Teenage girl kills 2 in Wisconsin school shootingSpeed Read 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow fatally shot a teacher and student at Abundant Life Christian School
-
Penny acquitted in NYC subway choking deathSpeed Read Daniel Penny was found not guilty of homicide in the 2023 choking death of Jordan Neely
-
Suspect in CEO shooting caught, charged with murderSpeed Read Police believe 26-year-old Luigi Mangione killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
-
UnitedHealthcare CEO killed in 'brazen, targeted' hitSpeed Read Police are conducting a massive search for Brian Thompson's shooter
-
DOJ demands changes at 'abhorrent' Atlanta jailSpeed Read Georgia's Fulton County Jail subjects inmates to 'unconstitutional' conditions, the 16-month investigation found
-
China tries to bury deadly car attackSpeed Read An SUV drove into a crowd of people in Zhuhai, killing and injuring dozens — but news of the attack has been censored
