A Return to Domestic Terrorism? Bomb Explodes Outside NAACP Office
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking for a person of interest in the attempted bombing of the Colorado Springs chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
The Huffington Post reports that the FBI believes that it could have been an act of domestic terrorism. The bombing occurred Tuesday morning when an improvised explosive device exploded outside on the NAACP building's walls. The explosion knocked items off the walls inside the building.
The FBI is looking for a middle-aged man believed to be in his 40s. He is thought to be driving a white pick up truck from 2000 or earlier. The truck has paneling and a dark liner. There was no information available about the license plate, which may have been removed or obscured.
The Denver Post reports that the bombing may not have gone off as intended because the explosive was placed next to a can of gasoline that did not explode along with the improvised device.
The Post notes that a hair salon which is in the same building as the NAACP also had some of the items on its shelves fall to the ground.
In a press release, the NAACP said, "The cause of the explosion is still unknown. The NAACP looks forward to a full and thorough investigation into this matter by federal agents and local law enforcement."
The attack represents just how tense the United States has become since the failure of grand juries to indict white police officers in the killing of unarmed black men like Michael Brown and Eric Garner in November.
After the officers in those cases were not indicted, protests intensified around the country, leading to highway closures in major cities and demonstrations at malls and other public spaces.
A mentally ill man from Baltimore then traveled to New York City and killed two police officers after shooting his ex girlfriend. That incident galvanized conservative public opinion against the protesters.
This was best illustrated by the hashtag #BlueLivesMatter, a play on the protesters' banner #BlackLivesMatter, in the wake of the officers' deaths.
