The mosque attended by Orlando nightclub shooter Omar Mateen was set on fire late Sunday, with authorities investigating (and subsequently ruling) the incident as arson. The Washington Post reports how the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office believed the fire was set “intentionally,” though the motive and responsible party are still at large.
Mateen, who was reportedly not a deeply religious person, shocked the entire Orlando community with a massacre that left 50 dead. The Washington Post reported the sheriff’s office has surveillance footage showing “an individual approached the east side of the building just moments before a flash is seen and the fire starts,” meaning this was not a random fire. BuzzFeed reveals authorities’ plans to release the footage later this week, and St. Lucie County Sheriff Maj. David Thompson said the incident could have been tied to the 9/11 anniversary:
“We all know the implications of the date and time of year that this is; the 9/11 anniversary. Is that related? I would not want to speculate, but certainly, that is in the back of our minds … Folks here are peaceful. This is a horrible tragedy not only for the Islamic Center but for our community.”
Officials from the sheriff’s office said worshippers of the mosque would be relocated, and no one was harmed during the incident. As the investigation continues, the sheriff has requested the assistance of the FBI, district officials and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
(Via CNN, BuzzFeed & The Washington Post & St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office Facebook)