An explosion occurred outside a Colorado Springs NAACP office building yesterday morning, reports The Gazette. Two NAACP volunteers were inside the office at the time of the detonation, but no one was injured in the attack, which the FBI is calling “deliberate.”
Around 11 a.m. local time on Tuesday, witnesses reported that they heard a loud explosion. The explosive device had been placed near the exterior wall of the building that houses the local chapter. A can of gasoline close to the device did not ignite.
NAACP chapter president Henry Allen Jr. said that items in the office fell during the explosion, but no other interior damage was done. Allen, who was not present when the bomb detonated, told The Gazette that he is waiting for more information from investigators before he calls this a hate crime. “We believe in civil rights for all,” he said. “We don’t work in fear, and we won’t be deterred. We’ll move on. This won’t deter us from doing the job we want to do in the community.”
The suspect, who is reported to be a White male in his 40s, escaped in a white pickup truck. The truck has paneling, a missing license plate and an open tailgate.
Anyone with information should call Denver’s FBI tip line: 303-435-7787.