Local newspaper Florida TODAY and the Central Florida news channels are reporting that a mosque in Melbourne, Florida has been the target of a hate crime.
When 59-year-old Delacie Phillips stepped outside of themosque at the Islamic Society of Brevard County, he wanted to call some friends and let them know that Ramadan would officially start Saturday. But what happened next was something he didn’t expect – bullets began hitting the walls near him.Do we expect that more of these kinds of attacks will occur? Is there something that should be done by the Muslim community to help the rest of us believe that what takes place in some -- no, many -- mosques isn't happening here? Are we surprised that something like this has happened?
Phillips took cover behind a wide concrete pillar, and waited a few moments for the gunfire to stop. He then raced back inside the mosque to call 9-1-1, and warn the more than 300 members inside that someone had shot at the building. There were children playing outside of the mosque on the other side of the building, and Phillips quickly brought them inside.
He was so flustered he forgot he had a cell phone in his hand.
No one was injured by the five shots that struck the building. The Melbourne Police Department searched the undeveloped woods to the south of the mosque, the area where they believe the shots originated from, but don’t have any suspects yet. They searched the area Friday night when the incident happened, and again Saturday morning. The police will be increasing patrols around the mosque for at least the next couple of days, police spokeswoman Jill Frederiksen said.
Given the nature of the incident, the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force have been notified and have offered to assist with the investigation.
The suspects, if caught, will face charges of “shooting at or into an occupied structure,” a second-degree felony.
Just askin'...
Jay at STOP the ACLU has more.
Other people talking about this:
Lindasog; LuckyDawgNews
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