The FBI is continuing their investigation into an explosion that occurred outside a Colorado National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) office earlier this week, but officials could not confirm that the act was one of domestic terrorism.
Officials are not, however, ruling out the possibility of terrorism.
“Certainly domestic terrorism is one possibility, among many others,” Amy Sanders, media coordinator for FBI’s Denver office, told The Huffington Post. “We are investigating all potential motives at this time.”
The bomb, a homemade explosive placed against an exterior wall of a building that houses the offices and a barbershop, did damage the wall, but failed to ignite a gas can placed nearby. No one was injured in the explosion. Chapter President Henry Allen Jr. did say the blast was strong enough to knock objects off the wall, however.
While the FBI refuses to label the attack an act of terrorism, they did confirm that the act was “deliberate.” Members of the NAACP, an organization targeted for bomb attacks frequently during the Civil Rights era, say Tuesday’s incident is reminiscent of the terror experienced in the 1960s.
Sondra Young, president of the NAACP’s Denver chapter, said the incident “certainly raises questions of a potential hate crime.”
“One thing is clear — this is an act of domestic terrorism,” Young told HuffPost. “In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, ‘Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.’ This cowardly attempt at a criminal act that is both intolerable and morally reprehensible.”
Civil rights leader and U.S. representative John Lewis (D-Ga.) also expressed his concern with the bombing:
I am deeply troubled by the bombing in Colorado. It reminds me of another period. These stories cannot be swept under the rug #NAACPBombing
— John Lewis (@repjohnlewis) January 7, 2015
And for many, that’s exactly what the media is doing. The bombing wasn’t reported by major news networks for hours after it occurred and less than a day after the incident, three gunmen stormed a Paris publication and killed 12 in what officials say was the deadliest and most gruesome attack in France in decades.
The tragic massacre, which French President Francois Hollande called a terrorist attack, dominated the news. News about the NAACP bombing and the person of interest, still on the run, was scarce.
The public took to Twitter to express their frustration with the lack of attention the attack received. By Tuesday night, the hashtag #NAACPBombing was the number one trending topic. Most Twitter users noted they were only made aware of the bombing because of the hashtag.
Seriously, we should all be questioning WHY it took a trending hashtag for us to learn about the #NAACPBombing. We know the answer though…
— Derrick Clifton (@DerrickClifton) January 7, 2015
If someone dropped a book of matches in front of a Hobby Lobby, @CNN would be all over it. Meanwhile… #NAACPBombing
— Jason Thibeault (@lousycanuck) January 7, 2015
Instead of putting the #NAACPBombing on their front pages: CBS: The “mama’s boys” of Italy ABC: Dog Abandoned Along With Suitcase
— JRehling (@JRehling) January 7, 2015
Remember, the NAACP bombing happened THIS MORNING. Why are we just hearing about it? Think on that. #NAACPBombing
— deray mckesson (@deray) January 7, 2015
Every damn person should be outraged. My life and other Black folks lives are AT RISK. F your silence. #NAACPBombing #BlackLivesMatter
— Dante Barry (@dantebarry) January 7, 2015
Let’s talk about how we define terrorism & how the silence of the media is them telling us that our terror is not newsworthy. #NAACPBombing
— Jack. Attack. (@jaykayG) January 7, 2015
Black people aren’t saying the #NAACPBombing deserves more coverage than the #ParisShooting. We’re asking for it to be covered, period.
— Terrell J. Starr (@Russian_Starr) January 8, 2015
Police are still investigating the explosion. The FBI describes the person of interest to be a white, balding man approximately 40-years-old. He may be driving a dirty, white pick-up truck with paneling and a dark bed liner. The FBI says the driver may have a missing or covered license plate.
SOURCE: HuffPost, Twitter | VIDEO SOURCE: News Inc.
