The man accused of setting fire to churches in St. Louis has been arrested, reports the NY Times.
The suspect, 35-year-old David Lopez Jackson, was charged on two counts of second-degree arson for the Missouri fires and considered a suspect in five other church burnings.
St. Louis Police Investigating Sixth Fire in Two Weeks at Black Churches
The string of fires started after a wave of predominantly Black churches in the South were burned. Because of this, police believed the arson attacks were race-related hate crimes.
Charleston Tragedy: 6 Things to Know About the Illustrious History of the Emanuel AME Church
However, federal investigators said there is no evidence of a hate crime. A clear motive has yet to be determined.
At a news conference Friday, St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay said it was “absolutely despicable that somebody would go after churches,” the very place where people go to get away from troubles.
Today, church-dwellers can rest assured knowing the alleged culprit has now been detained.