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

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 7:57 PM EDT, June 16, 2026


A person is in custody in an investigation of a large cross set on fire in a well-known Chicago park, police said Tuesday. The burning cross was discovered June 9 in Grant Park, where Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech when he was elected the nation’s first Black president in 2008.

A man identifying himself as a 21-year-old college student told WMAQ-TV that he was the shirtless person in an image distributed by police when they were looking for a suspect. But police did not immediately say Tuesday if he’s the person in custody. The man said he was protesting President Donald Trump and not making a racist statement.

“I did know about this historical relevance beforehand. But I didn’t know the severity, how racially motivated it may seem from what I did,” the man told the TV station. “Cause my protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender.”

Cross burnings in the U.S. have historically been seen as symbols of hate and intimidation against Black people and have often been connected to the Ku Klux Klan. The Chicago Police Department’s communications office confirmed that a person was in custody in connection with the case, but no other details were released. An email seeking comment from the prosecutor’s office was sent Tuesday.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/cross-burning-chicago-a167837882c94569b5267c29eb25e86a

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REFERENCE - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143676955

[no_hypocrisy]

1. You did it. Accept your indictment, your trial, and perhaps your conviction.

Last edited Wed Jun 17, 2026, 10:12 AM - Edit history (1)

While the suspect may or may not have known about the history of burning crosses, it's irrelevant. Either he did it or he didn't do it. (I know a man who was 40+ years old and claimed he didn't know about Hitler -- and his father is German and the guy went K-12 in public school.)

[stopdiggin]

7. trouble is - without a 'hate crime' element or enhancement (I'm not 100% on IL law)

In other words without that element of 'intent' - this is nothing more than just garden variety vandalism - perhaps destruction of public property. But, in any event - not terribly serious at all. And essentially the same as some bum on the street lighting newspaper and couple of sticks from a pallet to keep warm in an alley. Slap on the wrist kind of thing.

And you're right - people really ARE this stupid. LOTS of them.

[Deuxcents]

2. A 21 year old college student and he didn't know? Don't buy it

Maybe he can read up about it in jail

[ChicagoTeamster]

3. If he's serious about not knowing and he didn't think of how it would look after the Red Hat burned up

Then he's seriously stupid

[2MuchNoise]

4. Plus, he leaned a burning cross against a tree.

It seems there's a whole lot of stuff this guy doesn't know.

[stopdiggin]

5. Yes - unfortunately there are plenty of people out there

that are just this clueless and ignorant. (and in fact a decent number that are pursuing 'higher education')

Ask an educator ....

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[Bengus81]

6. Cross burning but protesting Trump? Oh STFU...........

Nice try.........