Kingdom Hall burned down. - WA

[1MKnight]

https://q13fox.com/2018/07/03/2nd-fire-this-year-at-olympia-jehovahs-witness-kingdom-hall/

Quote

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Authorities are investigating the second fire in a matter of months at a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in Olympia.

The fire started just after 3:00 a.m. at Cain Rd SE and 22nd SE, according to the Olympia Fire Department. Nobody was inside at the time.

Roads near the building were shut down as firefighters investigated. Firefighters said the building was a total loss.

Back in March, the same Kingdom Hall caught fire and investigators believe that was intentionally set.

This morning's fire is still under investigation. The Olympia Fire Department and ATF are also investigating.

Also:A Person of Interest is in custody - they were found with suit on their hands.

[Stoffer]

Well I can't access either of those links from here in Spain!

At least nobody was hurt. That's the main thing. People are more important than buildings.

[Miss Bea]

They have a person they found eight blocks away with soot on his hands. Who it is, and this rotten story should be interesting. At least they got him. And arsonists are not ones that give up their ways easily. 

Sick and sad. 

[tucker]

This is just another form of persecution and we can expect a lot more. This system certainly is hard to live with. We need to lift up our heads and stand firm. Our deliverance is very near!

[Saffron]

It is sad that someone hates us enough to do something like this. So glad he was caught!

 

Counting down the days. 😶

[Greg Dent]

Yes very fortunate no one was injured though at 3 am no one would have been around. Wonder if the brother will start doing security at night in that hall. 

 

[rocket]

One of my nephews is an elder in one of the congregations that met at that KH. 

[Margaret]

And this is not the only Kingdom Hall in the area thathas been targeted

[Katty]

This is beyond sad. I can't understand the mentality of people who think that they have a prerogative to do things like that.

[rocket]

A brother from our congregation in Oregon was staying with his sister as his twin brother was in the hospital. Her home is right next to the Kingdom Hall that burned.  He was awakened at 3 AM by fire trucks and saw the roof collapse and thus a total loss. He also saw the suspect that is now under arrest.

[GeordieGirl]

12 hours ago, Stoffer said:

Well I can't access either of those links from here in Spain!

At least nobody was hurt. That's the main thing. People are more important than buildings.

See if this one helps, Stoffer. 

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article214258634.html

[1MKnight]

14 hours ago, Margaret said:

And this is not the only Kingdom Hall in the area thathas been targeted

THere is a thread on here from a few months back where an arson tried to burn down two kingdom halls- this one and another nearby. He failed though, looked like he even caught himself on fire from the security footage. But this time he definately succeeded. 

 

Additionally, I think before the initial arson attempts, there were threats made to various kingdom halls in the Washington area. One Kingdom hall about an hour from this one, had to intruders barge into a meeting. I don't know what happened, but all the halls in the area have their pictures now for reference. So, it's not easy to tell if these are related or not.

[Sequoia]

This is one of two Kingdom Halls in the Olympia and Tumwater area that have been targeted by arson since March.  This particular Kingdom Hall that was destroyed, this is the second attack on this Kingdom Hall.  In Yelm which is in the same county Thurston County also the same circuit, was shot up by over a dozen bullets, by a large gun in May.  Yelm is about a forty minute drive away from Olympia. 

 

So there's been a total of four attacks on these three Kingdom Halls since March.  the following news story talks about all of the attacks.  Also the person of interest that was picked up doesn't meet the description of the person in March and there wasn't enough evidence against him.  However he was arrested on an unrelated warrant and charge.  The authorities said that they are going to ramp up patrols on Kingdom Halls.  I'm sorry if someone else has already brought all of this out. 

 

http://komonews.com/news/local/church-catches-fire-in-olympia-early-tuesday-morning

[shali]

Does anyone know if the person doing this has been caught yet?

[rocket]

6 hours ago, shali said:

Does anyone know if the person doing this has been caught yet?

 

No charges yet but they do have two persons of interest, just not enough evidence to bring charges.

[Sequoia]

No one has been caught.  The ATF is investigating.  I haven't looked at all the comments but two Kingdom Halls in Olympia and Lacey WA which are part of the same area, have been burned down and there have been other attacks including a Kingdom Hall in Yelm 45 minutes away being shot up and later set on fire.

[shali]

Shot AND set on fire - someone really hates us!

[Sequoia]

I forgot to mention that there have been a total of six attacks some on more than one Kingdom Hall mostly arson but one was shot up with a rifle with 35 bullets originally I heard a dozen but it was actually at least 35. Two arson attacks were on one day.  It started in March of last year with no Halls being burned down originally.  It's mostly in the Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater Area in Washington but also happened to the Kingdom Hall in Yelm WA which is in the same County.  The one in Yelm is the one that was shot up and no one heard anything because it all happens early in the morning and that Kingdom Hall is on a private rural road. 

 

But like I said two have been destroyed the first to be destroyed was destroyed in the second attack on it in July of 2018.  The last one to be destroyed was in December 2018 which was the last attack but the person has waited for months in between attacks before.  And like I said the ATF, which just in case someone doesn't know, stands for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating with the local police so the investigation has gone Federal with the appropriate department.  

 

A man has been caught on camera setting fire to a Kingdom Hall but they can't see his face.  They put the face of a man buying large amounts of presto logs in a store they put his face on TV to ask the public if they recognize him because whoever the person is used presto logs to help start the fire.  It is unknown if the man caught on video in the store buying the logs is the man starting the Kingdom Hall fires but the authorities want to talk to him but they don't know who or where he is at this point.

 

Some of this may have already been mentioned.  

Edited April 15, 2019 by JW2017

[Sequoia]

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/fire-that-destroyed-lacey-jehovahs-witness-hall-was-arson/281-622020393

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2018/12/09/another-jehovahs-witness-center-has-been-destroyed-month-rash-arson-attacks/?utm_term=.1a1a8fa96f28

 

https://www.kiro7.com/news/south-sound-news/shots-fired-into-kingdom-hall-of-jehovahs-witnesses/750155526

 

One of the above articles mentions over a dozen bullet holes but the police reveal elsewhere that there were 35 bullets.

One of the above articles says what the Governor for the State of Washington has to say and one mentions Hitler and our experiences in the concentration camps.  Also mentions what one of our spokesmen has to say as well as another brother.

Edited April 15, 2019 by JW2017