Chicago, Illinois – A person of interest is in custody after a large wooden cross was set on fire in Grant Park, an incident Chicago police are investigating as arson and a possible hate crime.
Police said the cross was burned June 9 in the 600 block of South Columbus Drive. No charges had been announced as of Tuesday, and authorities had not publicly identified the person in custody.
NBC 5 Chicago interviewed University of Illinois Chicago senior Merlin Lu, who said he set the fire and described it as a protest against President Donald Trump and MAGA supporters, not a racist act. However, police have not officially confirmed that Lu is the person in custody.
The incident drew immediate concern because cross burnings have long been used by the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists to intimidate Black Americans. The Anti-Defamation League classifies burning crosses as one of the most recognizable hate symbols in the United States.
Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the incident, and Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. AP reported that even if the stated intent was political protest, community leaders said the impact of the symbol remained deeply harmful.
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