A Jehovah’s Witnesses'* place of worship being torched in the city of Lacey became the fifth such suspected attack to occur in Washington state during the last nine months, NBC News reports citing its local affiliate KING-TV.
According to the media outlet, the previous fires occurred in "Olympia, Tumwater, and Yelm between March and August", with two of the fires causing “minor damage” while a blaze on July 3 destroyed the Olympia Kingdom Hall.
Also, someone reportedly fired 35 rifle rounds into a Yelm Kingdom Hall in May.
As Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza explained, no suspect has been identified yet.
"How frustrating is it that people who find a solemn place of worship — now it’s being destroyed", he remarked.
This development left a number of Twitter users aghast.
Some however appeared amused by the incident or used it as an opportunity to express their negative opinion of the religious group.
Established during the late 19th century in the United States, Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian religious group known for its door-to-door preaching, distributing religious literature, refusing blood transfusions and rejecting subservience to the state, which manifests in them refraining from voting or serving in the military.
The group is governed by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania headquartered in Warwick, New York, and counts over 8 million people as its members.
*Jehovah's Witnesses are outlawed in Russia