In an update on its official Facebook page, The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said surveillance video shows someone approaching the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce around 12:30 a.m. Monday, moments before a flash was seen and the fire started.
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Authorities received a 9-1-1 call about the fire around 12:30am and firefighters extinguished the flames upon arrival.
The mosque was reportedly home to Omar Mateen, the gunman who killed 49 people and wounded 53 at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando exactly three months ago. David Thompson said investigators collected evidence showing a person set fire to the Islamic Center of Fort Pierce on goal.
Thompson said a motive for the fire is unknown at this time, but it did happen shortly after the 9/11 anniversary.
No injuries were reported and the extent of the damage had not been determined.
‘This is a disgusting tragedy, ‘ added Major Thompson, ‘not only for the Islamic Center, but also for our community’.
The sheriff’s office was being assisted by the St. Lucie County Fire District and Florida State Fire Marshal’s office. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced in a statement today that special agents from its field office in Fort Pierce and certified fire investigators from its Miami field division are assisting the FBI and that the arson is being treated as a hate crime.
Officials say the mosque has had other trouble since the Orlando attack. He added that the sheriff’s office is investigating the incident as an arson.
Mateen, who attended the Islamic Center, was killed as SWAT team members breached the building to rescue victims trapped inside.
Ruiz said he was told the main fire took place in an area where they typically have dinner just outside the entrance to the prayer hall. His father is among roughly 100 people who attend the mosque.
A few weeks after the nightclub shooting, a man was beaten outside the mosque, according to Sheriff Ken J. Mascara.
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Services had been scheduled Monday as part of Eid al-Adha, one of two holy days in the Islamic calendar. A suspect was stopped by deputies and arrested a short time later.
