Overnight fires near Jackson State University cause damage to churches, 7 total sites

Hinds County Sheriff's Office deputies have arrested a suspect in seven fires that authorities said were intentionally set early Tuesday morning in the Jackson State University area.

"HCSO Deputies acting on a tip from citizens were able to detain wanted arson suspect, Delvin McLaurin and take him into custody this evening in Terry near the Hinds/Copiah County line," Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones tweeted late Tuesday afternoon. "He will be transferred to @JacksonMSPolice for further questioning."

The Jackson Fire Department spent most of the day Tuesday investigating the seven fires that happened overnight just a few miles from Jackson State University.

Patrick Armon, assistant Jackson fire chief, said he received the news about the fires around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. Jackson police, investigating the crimes as arson, identified McLaurin as a suspect wanted in connection with the fires. Police spokesman Sam Brown said McLaurin was in the vicinity of the fires during the hours they were set Tuesday morning.

The city and police department distributed his image on social media, and they warned that the suspect was considered dangerous but not armed.

"The fires that caused the most damage were located on Dalton Street and Isaiah Montgomery Road," Armon said Tuesday morning. "Fires were set on Robinson Road, Pascagoula Street, Briggs Street, Isaiah Montgomery Street, Lynch Street, Dalton Street and Terry Road.

"Since the incident, we have put out all fires as we continue the investigation."

Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said at Tuesday's city council meeting that the fires are "believed to be arson."

"We don't know who or why," Lumumba said before a suspect had been identified, adding that firefighters from stations 5, 14 and 22 responded to the blazes.

Responding to speculation that the timing may be election related Lumumba said, "it is too early in the investigation to know what the motive may be."

He thanked the firefighters for their hard work and noted they were still able to return to their stations to help set up their polling places.

The fires that occurred on Election Day included several buildings including churches in the Jackson State neighborhood and a building on the Jackson State University baseball complex.

No polling places were affected, Armon said.

"The citizens are outraged that there is a suspected arsonist in our midst," said Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley who represents the areas near Jackson State where the fires occurred.

Hartley echoed Lumumba's request that citizens who may have camera footage or saw anything suspicious between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. should call the Jackson Fire Department at 601-960-1392.

"We encourage all communities in the greater Jackson area to acknowledge that an action like this is not an action against one community. It affects us all," Hartley said.

Democratic congressional candidate Shuwaski Young of District 3 released a statement early Tuesday morning, calling the fires acts of "terrorism."

"This morning several churches were burned in Jackson, Mississippi on Election Day," the statement read. "These cowardly actions invoke historical acts of terrorism when people are fighting for their right to vote and live peacefully as Americans and Mississippians. We will not be deterred and will not be intimidated. We will not allow domestic terrorists to suppress our right to vote. I ask all Mississippians to go vote regardless of this decades old intimidation tactic to suppress our votes today. Just go vote."

Jackson officials did not connect the fires with an attempt to affect Tuesday's election.

The locations of the seven fires are:

• Greater Bethlehem Temple Church at 1505 Robinson Road

• Epiphany Church at 1230 Isaiah Montgomery Street

• Baseball Field on Jackson State University campus

• Gas Station on Terry Road

• Central Street and Dalton

• 1101 Pascagoula Street

• Terry Road and Cherry Street

Any citizens who saw suspicious activities or who may have camera footage are encouraged to contact the police and fire departments. Police have asked anyone with knowledge of the suspect to contact Jackson Police at 601-960-1234 or call CrimeStoppers at 601-355-TIPS (8477).

Free-lance writer Ed Inman contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Overnight fires cause damage to churches, buildings on election day