Whodunit: Twin Cities Trump supporter's home torched, tagged with BLM and anarchist graffiti

Just how insane has this election cycle become? A fire at the home of a Trump supporter in the Twin Cities suburbs now has the FBI and ATF investigating it as a potentially politically motivated arson. Dennis Molla had hung large Trump banners on his garage and trailers, and it just so happens that those are where the fire started that could have killed him, his wife, their two small children, and seven dogs.

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Who could have done such a thing? Graffiti left at the time might provide one clue:

Police and firefighters responded to the blaze in the 6900 block of N. Morgan Avenue shortly before 4 a.m. It burned down the detached garage and totaled three vehicles inside, according to police. Minor damage was done to the house, and no injuries were reported.

Officers and firefighters helped the family save three dogs and four puppies from the home, police said.

“This fire is considered suspicious, and our investigation remains extremely active,” a statement from police read.

Officers saw what appeared to be fresh spray paint on the garage that read “Biden 2020,” “BLM” and an “A” with a circle around it, according to police. The symbol often is a reference to anarchists.

Well, that certainly seems like a mighty big hint. However, don’t jump to conclusions quite yet. It’s possible, theoretically, that this could be a Jussie Smollett sort of situation — a hoax for the sake of publicity and sympathy. This seems very unlikely here, though, since those usually just involve light damage, especially to one’s own home. This very easily could have killed everyone in the house.

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It’s also possible that it was set by the same boogeymen that our local news media like to use as excuses for violent demonstrations and riots: white supremacists. That’d be a “hoax” of another sort, although that’s also a bit of a stretch. Why target some random home in the ‘burbs for that kind of operation? If they’re even present here in any significant numbers — which still hasn’t been established — they’d be more likely to stir things up in the city, not that far outside of where the BLM/Antifa action is. It’s possible, though, even if it’s less than likely.

This makes it look as though it’s more serious:

Police Cmdr. Garrett Flesland said that while investigators pursue a motive, “everything is on the table. We are keeping our minds and our ears open. We’re just going to let the evidence take us where it goes.”

Along with local agencies, the FBI and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also investigating the fire. A reward of $5,000 is being offered for information leading to the identification of whoever is responsible. Tips can be called in to 1-800-723-2020.

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Molla’s experience with drive-by surveillance over the past week since hanging the signs tends to suggest the more obvious suspects, ie, Antifa and/or BLM radicals conducting intimidation tactics. The involvement of the FBI and ATF in this investigation shows that law enforcement are open to that possibility, too. Otherwise, this would be a local law enforcement issue, not something in the feds’ jurisdiction. If this was politically motivated arson, it then becomes a potential terrorism investigation, and that would land fully within federal jurisdiction.

Stay tuned to see what develops, and to see if any more attacks take place too, for that matter. In real life rather than in fiction, the whodunits often end with the obvious suspects.

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Ed Morrissey 10:00 PM | November 21, 2024
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