A disturbing development is being reported from Colorado Springs, Colorado, as a local NAACP office was bombed last night. Authorities stated that someone placed an improvised explosive device next to a can of gasoline in the hopes of causing massive damage to the building and office. The bomb did explode but the gas did not ignite, and the damage was minimal.
Police are now looking for a suspect who is described as a balding white male, driving a late model white pickup truck with partially obscured plates. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but with racial tensions rising across the country, it is feared that there could be a potential for copycat bombings.
During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, churches and NAACP offices were bombed throughout the South. In Birmingham, Alabama, the bombings were so frequent, the city was called “Bombing-ham” by many. One bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church in 1963 killed four little black girls as they were preparing to sing in the choir.
The NAACP released the following statement: “No injuries were reported in what is believed to be an explosion near the Colorado Springs NAACP Branch located on the 600 block of S. El Paso Street. 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.”
