A person is in custody in a Chicago cross burning investigation, police say

A idiosyncratic is successful custody successful an probe of a ample transverse acceptable connected occurrence successful a well-known Chicago park, constabulary said Tuesday.

The burning transverse was discovered June 9 successful Grant Park, wherever Barack Obama delivered his acceptance code erstwhile helium was elected the nation’s archetypal Black president successful 2008.

A antheral identifying himself arsenic a 21-year-old assemblage pupil told WMAQ-TV that helium was the shirtless idiosyncratic successful an representation distributed by constabulary erstwhile they were looking for a suspect. But constabulary did not instantly accidental Tuesday if he's the idiosyncratic successful custody. The antheral said helium was protesting President Donald Trump and not making a racist statement.

“I did cognize astir this humanities relevance beforehand. But I didn’t cognize the severity, however racially motivated it whitethorn look from what I did,” the antheral told the TV station. “Cause my protestation has thing to bash with race, thing to bash with gender.”

Cross burnings successful the U.S. person historically been seen arsenic symbols of hatred and intimidation against Black radical and person often been connected to the Ku Klux Klan.

The Chicago Police Department's communications bureau confirmed that a idiosyncratic was successful custody successful transportation with the case, but nary different details were released. An email seeking remark from the prosecutor's bureau was sent Tuesday.

“I can’t talk to anyone’s motives. We tin lone talk to the impact. And the interaction was devastating," Mayor Brandon Johnson, who is Black, said erstwhile asked astir the transverse and the man’s remarks to WMAQ.

The antheral interviewed by the TV presumption said helium was protesting the “ruling class” and Christian nationalists who enactment Trump. He said helium enactment a reddish chapeau connected the transverse to signify a MAGA chapeau worn by the president's allies.

The antheral said helium doesn't see what helium did a hatred crime.

“I recognize wherefore it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that, but no, the intent was not there,” helium said.

Gina Miranda Samuels, module manager of the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture astatine the University of Chicago, said the antheral seemed sincere that helium was not trying to nonstop a hateful connection to Black people.

Nonetheless, she added, “it says a batch astir however uninformed radical tin be” astir definite symbols, “and that it would beryllium acceptable to usage a awesome of hatred and panic successful this way.”

The Rev. Michael Pfleger, elder pastor with the section Catholic religion The Faith Community of Saint Sabina, said helium doesn't bargain that the antheral went to the occupation of making the transverse but didn't cognize it was a awesome of hate.

“Your Lawyer Schooled you well,” helium said successful a station connected Facebook.

Officials from the religion had posted connected societal media a $10,000 reward for accusation starring to the apprehension and condemnation of anyone progressive successful the transverse burning. ___ This communicative has been corrected to amusement that the antheral interviewed by WMAQ-TV said the chapeau connected the transverse was red, signifying a MAGA hat. It was not an existent MAGA hat.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.