0:41
- ABC News
- September 12, 2016
Possible Arsonist Seen at Orlando Gunman's Mosque
Investigators are investigating arson as the cause of the blaze.
Investigators said evidence points to an intentional fire.
Surveillance video shows an individual walking up to the east side of the building before a flash and the start of a fire, Major David Thompson of the sheriff's office, said at a press conference this morning.
The blaze broke out just hours after the passing of the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, three months after the Jun. 12 massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando and on the same day as the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
“Right now, I don’t want to speculate on a motive,\" Thompson said. \"We all know the implications of the date and the time of year. This is the 9/11 anniversary. Is that related? I would not want to speculate, but it is in the back of our minds.”
“This is a horrible tragedy,\" he added, \"not only for the Islamic Center but also for our community.”
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