A white man in Rhode Island was taken into custody for starting several fires at a predominantly Black church.

On Thursday, Feb. 15, a man from Rhode Island was taken into custody for allegedly setting a Black church on fire. The Department of Justice revealed that 34-year-old Kevin Colantonio, a resident of North Providence, was charged with maliciously damaging or destroying the Shiloh Gospel Temple through the use of fire or explosion.

It was reported that agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives apprehended Colantonio at his home without any resistance. The agency worked closely with the North Providence Police Department and the Rhode Island State Fire Marshal's Office to investigate the string of fires that were believed to have been started by Colantonio. As a result of these investigations, the 34-year-old was taken into federal custody after appearing in U.S. District Court.

In a statement released by Zachary Cunha, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, he commended the exceptional police work that led to the arrest. He mentioned that a North Providence police officer, while responding to an unrelated call, noticed an individual carrying a gas can. This observation eventually led to the identification of a local gas station where the gasoline used to ignite the fire was purchased. Through the use of various techniques such as video surveillance and financial records, law enforcement was able to identify the suspect, who was seen buying gasoline and a BIC lighter just 12 minutes before the first reports of fire at the Shiloh Temple.

Cunha also revealed that evidence was recovered during a search of the suspect's home, including notebooks containing disturbing writings such as "burn churches down to the ground" and "hunt them down, gun everyone down who isn't white." These writings showed a clear animus towards racial and religious groups. The investigation is still ongoing.

In a related story, a white church in Michigan has made headlines for giving reparations to Black organizations. This news serves as a reminder that despite the actions of individuals like Colantonio, there are still many people and communities striving towards unity and equality.

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