Authorities have not determined a cause for the fires or established a connection, but they are treating them as crime scenes.
Firefighters and fire investigators respond to a fire Thursday at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas, La. By Tim Elfrink and Tim Elfrink Editor of the Morning Mix Email Bio Follow Kayla Epstein Kayla Epstein Embedded audience editor on the National desk Email Bio Follow April 11 at 12:40 AM Authorities in Southern Louisiana on Wednesday arrested a suspect in a spate of fires that have burned three black churches in St. Landry Parish since last month, according to federal prosecutors.
Local leaders praised the arrest for bringing to an end several frightening weeks for residents as hundreds of investigators worked with federal authorities to determine who had ignited the fires. Authorities still have not determined a motive and have declined to tell residents whether they believe race was a factor in the crimes, according to The Advocate. On Sunday, State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning told worshipers at Mount Pleasant that about 200 state investigators were working the case alongside officials from federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI.
For some, the recent fires recall a dark history of attacks and threats against black churches in the South. During Reconstruction and the civil rights movement, black churches were targeted with fires, bombings and threats. As authorities investigated the St. Landry fires, churches’ leaders were resilient, though baffled by the attacks.
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