Key facts
- A person is in custody in connection with a cross burning investigation in Chicago.
- The burning cross was discovered on June 9 in Grant Park.
- A college student told a local TV station he was the suspect pictured by police and that his protest was not race-motivated.
- Cross burnings are historically symbols of hate and intimidation against Black people.
A person is in custody in Chicago in connection with an investigation into a large cross that was set on fire in Grant Park on June 9. The park is known for being the site of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential election acceptance speech.
A 21-year-old college student told WMAQ-TV that he was the person in the image distributed by police when they were seeking a suspect. He stated that his protest was directed at the "ruling class" and Christian nationalists who support President Donald Trump, and that it was not intended as a racist statement.
Cross burnings in the United States have historically been associated with hate and intimidation, particularly against Black people, and are often linked to the Ku Klux Klan. The Chicago Police Department's communications office confirmed that an individual was in custody regarding the incident, but did not release further details.