Overview
- Museum staff found an Amazon package with Juneteenth decorations torn open and some items burned behind the Museum of African American History on Beacon Hill on Wednesday morning.
- Security footage reportedly shows a person removing items from the package, walking into a narrow alley behind the African Meeting House, and setting several pieces on fire.
- Boston Police and National Park Service investigators described the case as vandalism being examined for racial bias, are working with civil-rights groups, and have released images of a white male suspect while no arrests have been announced.
- Museum leaders warned that even a small fire could endanger the adjacent 19th-century African Meeting House and nearby historic homes, and they say they will review security but continue planned Juneteenth community events.
- The investigation remains active and police are asking anyone with information to contact Boston Police CrimeStoppers or District A-1 Detectives so authorities can determine whether the act meets the legal standard for a hate crime.