Suspect arrested after setting 7 fires in Jackson, Mississippi, including 2 at Black churches: authorities

Authorities say a suspect was arrested Tuesday in a string of fires that were deliberately set across Jackson, Mississippi that left two historically Black churches damaged — including one that was completely destroyed.

Hinds County Sheriff's Office deputies say the arson suspect, Delvin McLaurin, was arrested after seven fires were intentionally set early Tuesday morning in the area of Jackson State University, a historically Black public university.

A spokesperson for the Jackson Police Department said he is being charged with felony malicious mischief. He is being questioned by the FBI and may face additional charges.

The locations of the seven fires were:

• Greater Bethlehem Temple Church at 1505 Robinson Road

• Epiphany Lutheran Church at 1230 Isaiah Montgomery Street

• Baseball Field on Jackson State University campus

• Gas Station on Terry Road

• Central Street and Dalton

• 1101 Pascagoula Street

• Terry Road and Cherry Street

Officials started to receive calls about several fires starting around 2:45 a.m. Officials said six of the seven fires were put out by 6 a.m. Epiphany Lutheran Church, one of the oldest predominately Black Lutheran churches in Mississippi, burned for more than four hours before the fire was extinguished.

Lloyd Caston, 73, an elder at Epiphany, was awoken around 4 a.m. by a call from a family member who lives in the church’s neighborhood. Alerted to the fire, he left his home and arrived at the church around 4:30 a.m. to find the building “fully enflamed.”

“I was hurt,” Caston said as he thought back to seeing the church on fire.

The fire department was on the scene attempting to put out the fire when Caston arrived. He stayed about an hour and left before the fire was extinguished. “There wasn’t nothing we could do but sit and watch,” Caston said. “That was it.”

“It destroyed the church and everything in it,” Caston said. The church is 85 years old, and renovations to the building’s interior had just been completed in March.

The fire at Greater Bethlehem Temple Church also left damage. Ervin Ricks, communications director for the church, told ABC 16 the area of the church that housed Sunday school for children was damaged in the blaze.

"We can't always understand why people do evil, but we know that it's our job. It's our job to overcome evil with good. That's why we're committed to continue to help this community," Ricks told the outlet.

Patrick Armon, assistant Jackson fire chief, said he received the news about the fires around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. Jackson police, investigating the crimes as arson, identified McLaurin as a suspect. Police spokesman Sam Brown said McLaurin was in the area of the fires during the hours they were set.

The city and police department posted his image on social media, and they warned that the suspect was considered dangerous but not armed. He was captured several hours later.

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at Tuesday's city council meeting that the fires are "believed to be arson."

Responding to speculation that the timing may be election related Lumumba said, "it is too early in the investigation to know what the motive may be."

No polling places were affected, Armon said.

Democratic congressional candidate Shuwaski Young of District 3 released a statement early Tuesday morning, calling the fires acts of "terrorism."

"This morning several churches were burned in Jackson, Mississippi on Election Day," the statement read. "These cowardly actions invoke historical acts of terrorism when people are fighting for their right to vote and live peacefully as Americans and Mississippians. We will not be deterred and will not be intimidated. We will not allow domestic terrorists to suppress our right to vote. I ask all Mississippians to go vote regardless of this decades old intimidation tactic to suppress our votes today. Just go vote."

Jackson officials did not connect the fires with an attempt to affect Tuesday's election.

Contributing: Freelance writer Ed Inman; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jackson, Mississippi arson suspect arrested in fires at Black churches