Baptist Church In LA Bombed With Improvised Explosive Device

Baptist Church Targeted As ‘Hate Group’ by SPLC Bombed in Los Angeles County

Chris Menahan,

A Baptist Church in Los Angeles County that was smeared as a “hate group” and placed on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate map” was bombed with an improved explosive device on Saturday, according to the FBI.

The bombing, which involved an improvised explosive device, broke the windows of the First Works Baptist Church in the Los Angeles County town of El Monte.

The local news outlet KTLA5 reported that no one was injured but that 14 homes and eight apartments within the vicinity of the church were temporarily evacuated.

[…] FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said that it is too early into the investigation to state if the attack could be considered a “hate crime.”

“As to the question of whether this was a hate crime, that’s always going to be considered among the theories when a house of worship is attacked,” Eimiller said, according to the newspaper. “But it would be premature to confirm any motive at this time, and we are not ruling any other motive out.”