shiyali/iStock/Thinkstock(GREENEVILLE, Miss.) — Bond was set Thursday for a man accused of torching a Mississippi church where the words “Vote Trump” were spray-painted, but authorities say the motive for the arson does not appear to be political.
Andrew McClinton, 45, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the November 1 blaze that destroyed the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville, Mississippi. He was charged with first-degree arson of a place of worship, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety said.
Greenville Police Chief Delando Wilson told ABC News that the fire does not appear to be politically motivated. “The investigation is leaning towards the motive that we are still investigating,” he said, which “doesn’t appear to have anything to do with politics.”
Wilson said he expects the case will be ongoing “for a while.”
McClinton appeared before a judge on Thursday morning, and bond was set at $250,000, Wilson said. McClinton did not enter a plea and did not have an attorney, Wilson said.
Last month, first responders discovered the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church “engulfed in flames” with “the words ‘Vote Trump’ spray-painted on the side” of the building, the Greenville Fire Department said. The blaze prompted a hate crimes investigation.
Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church is an African-American church. McClinton is also African American.
At one point McClinton was a member of the church, Wilson said. The current status of McClinton’s membership is not clear, he added.
Greenville mayor Errick Simmons told ABC News that he considers the fire a “direct assault” on the right to worship. He said the blaze “totally destroyed” the church.
Simmons said the Greenville community is still in the process of healing, adding, “We won’t rest until this person is prosecuted.”
According to Wilson, authorities are not releasing additional details about the investigation to ensure they “have an airtight case” so “we can prosecute this person and win in court to provide justice for our community.”
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