Hillsborough police are still seeking your help as they attempt to identify the person – or the people – responsible for this weekend’s firebombing of the Orange County Republican Party headquarters.
Police Chief Duane Hampton says his office has been working exclusively on this case since Sunday morning; police have interviewed “many” potential witnesses, and investigators from the FBI are now working on the case as well.
Get the latest statement from Hillsborough police.
The firebombing was first reported at 8:54 on Sunday morning; investigators believe it happened sometime after midnight, but it could have been anywhere in that nine-hour window. A “bottle containing flammable material” was thrown through the window of the office; it ignited inside the office and did considerable smoke and fire damage. The perpetrators also spray-painted a swastika and the words “NAZI REPUBLICANS LEAVE TOWN OR ELSE” on the outside of a nearby building. (Despite the hateful graffiti, officials currently say the firebombing may not legally count as a ‘hate crime’ under federal law – but that’s still under investigation too.)
WCHL’s Aaron Keck spoke Monday with Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens.
If you have any information that could help investigators make an arrest, there are several ways of contacting authorities:
Contact Hillsborough Investigator Jon Purvis at this link or by phone at 919-732-9381, ext. 37.
Report information anonymously through the town’s website.
Call the Hillsborough Police Department’s tip line at 919-732-3975. The phone line is routed directly to voicemail and does not record callers’ phone numbers.
Contact the FBI at 704-672-6100. Select Option 2 to report suspicious activity or a possible federal crime.
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