Officials said the devices used in the ballot box arson incidents in Oregon and Washington were marked with the words “Free Gaza.” Early Monday, Oct. 28, fire crews responded to two separate ballot box fires in Portland and Vancouver that happened about a half of an hour apart.
More than 100 ballots were destroyed in Vancouver, while a fire suppressant system in the Portland ballot box saved all but three of the ballots.
Law enforcement officials said the “Free Gaza” message was not only on the two devices from Monday, but also on a third device found at a ballot box earlier this month in Vancouver. That device also included a “Free Palestine” message.
Now, investigators are working to determine if the suspect is a pro-Palestinian activist or if it’s someone trying to heighten divisions that already exist in the United States.
Police identified the suspect’s vehicle from the Portland incident, which is a dark early 2000s Volvo. They believe the Volvo is tied to the two other incidents in Vancouver as well.
