Thug ‘sets fire to mosque’ attended by Orlando Pulse shooter
Police are seeking a thug who allegedly set fire to the mosque previously attended by Orlando Pulse shooter Omar Mateen.
Mateen killed 49 people and injured 53 when he opened fire in the Pulse gay club in June, telling police that he was acting on behalf of the so-called Islamic State. He was killed during the incident.
The attack led to a rallying cry for equality and inclusivity – but the state was the stage of another apparent hate crime attack this week.
CCTV from the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce, once attended by Mateen, showed a man approaching the mosque on “a Harley-Davidson-style motorcycle” after midnight on Sunday.
He appeared to set a blaze with a bottle of liquid before fleeing the scene.
The fire caused substantial damage, burning a 10 foot hole in the roof of the mosque.
No one was injured in the attack, which is being treated as a suspected hate crime.
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Maj. David Thompson told local press: “Shortly after the individual approached the building, an immediate and very large flash was observed in the video footage.
“The male was then seen leaving the mosque in a hurry.
“We do not have evidence right now that says it’s a hate crime.
“Of course, with what is going on, and of course because this is a place of worship, and because this occurred on the anniversary of 9/11, we’re going to explore that.”
It is the latest in a string of attacks at the mosque following the Pulse shooting.
Wilfredo Amr Ruiz of the Council on American-Islamic Relations said: “First there were threating voicemails.
“Then drivers would splash water on the parishioners leaving on Fridays, and then a member got beat up in the parking lot when he came to the mosque for early morning prayers.
“Now the mosque has been set on fire.”
