The Providence, Rhode Island, chapter of the NAACP wants the suspect accused of setting a Black church on fire on Feb. 11 to face a hate crime charge following his arrest. Kevin Colantonio was taken into custody by authorities on Thursday (Feb. 15) and charged with maliciously damaging or destroying by means of fire or explosion any building or other real property.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island alleges the 34-year-old may have set five fires around the vacant Shiloh Gospel Temple around midnight. The place of worship sustained extensive damage despite police and fire crews quickly working to put out the blaze.
Among the evidence in the court documents that possibly link the North Providence man to the crime are still frames from surveillance footage that showed an individual purchasing a gas canister and a lighter less than a mile away from the church. Colantonio’s Citizens Bank card was later linked to the items. Additional footage shows a man pouring liquid around the exterior of the place of worship. Soon after, authorities received calls regarding someone “attempting to set the building on fire” at the location.
District Attorney Zachary Cunha revealed in a press briefing that a notebook belonging to Colantonio includes an entry that reads, “Hunt them down, gun them down, everyone that isn’t white” and “burn churches to the ground.” He described the act as a profound and intolerable violation. During a Friday (Feb. 16) press conference, Pastor Chris Abhulime said, “The burning down of churches, especially Black churches in America, is not new to us. But what is new is that it’s happening in Rhode Island. What is new is that it is happening in 2024.”
The local NAACP branch issued a statement condemning Colantonio’s actions and demanding that the justice system enact a punishment that would send a clear message that “hate-filled attacks” will not be tolerated. “We believe this crime should be charged as arson, which is a more serious charge than malicious damage,” reads the statement.
The organization added that “With the information found by law enforcement and the hate speech on the personal Facebook page of the suspect, under our laws, this should be upgraded to a hate crime. We hope investigators take serious the threats presented to the public from the suspect’s own words, which clearly show his mental state as unstable and has the characteristics of a domestic terrorist in the making.”
According to Cunha, the incident is still being investigated, and additional charges may be forthcoming.