The Washington D.C. memorial dedicated to a Muslim teenager murdered last week caught on fire early Wednesday.
17-year-old Nabra Hassanen was attacked and killed last Sunday on her way to a late Ramadan service. The suspect, 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres, chased her friends down with a bat, targeted Hassanen, and assaulted her. Her body was found in a nearby pond.
Washington D.C. residents gathered at the memorial on Wednesday in front of the Dupont Memorial fountain to honor Hassanen.
The D.C. fire department said they responded to the fire around 8:30 a.m and extinguished the fire, according to Fox DC News. Police arrested 24-year-old Jonathon Solomon in connection to the fire.
The United States Park Police told Fox DC News that Solomon was setting multiple items on fire in the park at the time and did not appear to target items from the memorial. Solomon, of South Carolina, was charged with vandalism.
I am ashamed to live on the same planet as people who could have such hatred in their hearts. I just want to know why. #NabraHassanen https://t.co/EfpQLKXV8q
— Channing (@ChanningGW) June 21, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Posters just going up for #Nabra Hassanen vigil @WTOP pic.twitter.com/nB6SoflU6N
— Michelle Basch (@mbaschWTOP) June 21, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Madihha Ahussain, special counsel for anti-Muslim bigotry at Muslim Advocates, said the fire is a reminder hate is “thriving” and called U.S. citizens to unite against Islamaphobia.
“Now, more than ever, we need to come together and support one another and stand up against this type of insidious hate,” Ahussain said in a statement. “The reality is that the current political climate has emboldened hate groups and individuals to attack other groups of Americans, and it will be up to all of us as to turn the tides of bigotry and violence that has become so common across the nation.”
After Torres was arrested, Fairfax County Police said on Monday that Torres appeared to be motivated by road rage rather than hate towards Islam, according to NY Daily News.
Authorities have confirmed Hassanen was assaulted twice before her death and are investigating whether she was sexually assaulted during either of the attacks.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter, sharing our stories, interning or joining our staff.
