Federal authorities have detained a 31-year-old man from Georgia, accusing him of throwing a Molotov cocktail at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in downtown Atlanta. Prosecutors have labeled the incident as an ‘act of terrorism.’
Inique Hinton from Douglasville faces charges of attempted arson of a federal building and damage to government property, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
An attack on federal property is an attack against our democracy. It is an act of terrorism. It is an act of political violence, and it cannot stand,U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg announced at a news conference.
Prosecutors reported that security cameras caught Hinton near the ICE building located at 180 Ted Turner Drive shortly before 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Shortly after, he allegedly lit an object and hurled it at the facility, striking its exterior fence and igniting flames.
Investigators discovered burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle, and a lighter at the scene. Hinton was arrested on Thursday by the FBI in Cobb County.
This was obviously an attack directed at the ICE facility,Hertzberg stated. He added that prosecutors would respond with ‘extreme severity’ to convey that such acts are unacceptable.
Hertzberg emphasized the importance of civil discourse over criminal and terroristic acts, citing the need for public safety. The Atlanta ICE building was previously targeted in the summer of 2020.
Atlanta police witnessed the incident but could not capture the suspect that night. The FBI eventually released images of an unidentified suspect and offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
If convicted of attempted arson, Hinton faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. The charge of damaging government property carries a penalty of up to 10 years. The investigation is still ongoing.