Chicago authorities are searching for a man caught on camera near Grant Park on Tuesday afternoon, when a wooden cross was set ablaze in the park's landscape. Fire crews responded around 2:30pm and extinguished the flames without reported injuries.
Police released photographs of a young man, believed to be in his 20s, seen leaving the area. He was wearing dark trousers, a black backpack, and white sneakers. The images mark the first public lead in what investigators are treating as a potential bias crime.
Cross burnings carry deep historical weight in the United States, long weaponized by the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacist groups as symbols of racial terror and intimidation. The symbolism was not lost on Chicago's faith leaders.
Rev. Michael L. Pfleger of Saint Sabina church put up a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. In an interview with ABC7, Pfleger stressed the premeditated nature of the act: someone had constructed the cross, transported it downtown, positioned it in one of Chicago's most prominent public spaces, and ignited it deliberately.
Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement condemning the incident after returning from a Vatican visit. "Like many Chicagoans across our city, we were deeply disturbed upon seeing the images which have emerged following this incident. Hate has no place in our city," Johnson said. He pledged that city government would work to ensure residents "feel safe, protected and respected while going about their day or enjoying our public spaces."
The FBI has entered the investigation, with a spokesperson telling ABC7 that the bureau "takes all potential bias-motivated incidents seriously." Federal involvement signals the gravity with which law enforcement is treating the case.
Author James Rodriguez: "This is exactly the kind of hate crime that requires a swift and visible police response, not just statements from the mayor's office."
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