Cross Burning Suspect, 21, Charged With A Hate Crime After Admitting To Starting Blaze In Chicago Park

A 21-year-old man who admitted to mounting a ample transverse connected occurrence successful a Chicago park has been charged pinch a dislike crime, arson and different offenses, according to police.

Merlin Lu told a TV position this week that he was responsible for the transverse burning successful Grant Park connected June 9. But he claimed that he was protesting President Donald Trump alternatively than utilizing nan transverse arsenic a humanities awesome of dislike and intimidation against Black people.

Lu has been charged pinch 4 felonies and 4 misdemeanors, including a dislike crime and burning a transverse to intimidate, constabulary said successful a connection released Wednesday night.

“I understand why it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that, but no, nan intent was not there,” Lu told WMAQ-TV earlier his arrest.

It was not instantly known Thursday if Lu has an lawyer who could speak connected his behalf. He was scheduled to look successful tribunal for a detention hearing.

“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,” Lu told nan TV station. “Cause my protestation has thing to do pinch race, thing to do pinch gender.”

Lu said he was protesting nan “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who support Trump.

Someone put a large, multicolored, solid fibre bosom pinch nan word, “resilient,” successful nan spot wherever nan burning transverse stood successful nan park.

Lu's LinkedIn page says he has attended assemblage successful Indiana and Chicago and was studying chemistry.