Chicago Cross Burning Takes Shocking Turn As Student Suspect Breaks Silence

Police opportunity a personification of liking is successful custody aft a six-foot transverse was group connected occurrence successful a well-known Chicago park successful what constabulary feared was a dislike crime.

The burning transverse was discovered June 9 successful Grant Park, wherever Barack Obama delivered his acceptance reside erstwhile he was elected nan nation’s first Black president successful 2008.

A 21-year-old assemblage student told WMAQ-TV that he was nan shirtless personification successful an image distributed by constabulary erstwhile they were looking for a suspect. Police did not instantly opportunity Tuesday if he's nan personification successful custody.

The student said he was protesting President Donald Trump and not making a racist statement.

“I did cognize astir this humanities relevance beforehand. But I didn’t cognize nan severity, really racially motivated it whitethorn look from what I did,” nan man told nan TV station. “Cause my protestation has thing to do pinch race, thing to do pinch gender.”

Cross burnings successful nan U.S. person historically been seen arsenic symbols of dislike and intimidation against Black group and person often been connected to nan Ku Klux Klan.

The Chicago Police Department's communications agency confirmed that a personification was successful custody successful relationship pinch nan case, but nary different specifications were released. An email seeking remark from nan prosecutor's agency was sent Tuesday.

“I can’t speak to anyone’s motives. We tin only speak to nan impact. And nan effect was devastating," Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is Black, said erstwhile asked astir nan transverse and nan man’s remarks to WMAQ.

The man interviewed by nan TV position said he was protesting nan “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who support Trump. He said he put a reddish MAGA chapeau connected nan cross.

The man said he doesn't see what he did a dislike crime.

“I understand why it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that, but no, nan intent was not there,” he said.

Gina Miranda Samuels, module head of nan Center for nan Study of Race, Politics and Culture astatine nan University of Chicago, said nan man seemed sincere that he was not trying to nonstop a hateful connection to Black people.

Nonetheless, she added, “it says a batch astir really uninformed group tin be” astir definite symbols “and that it would beryllium acceptable to usage a awesome of hatred and panic successful this way.”