Memorial honoring Nabra Hassanen, slain Muslim teen, set on fire
A memorial to Nabra Hassanen, the Muslim teen who was assaulted and left by a pond, was set on fire. Fox5 DC reports that local fire fighters arrived in Dupont Circle at about 8:30 a.m. to find the memorial set ablaze.
Jonathon Soloman, 24, of South Carolina was arrested in connection with the fire but only charged with vandalism. This decision was made because he reportedly set multiple things around the park on fire, and not only the memorial and authorities determined it wasn’t a targeted attack.
Nabra’s death had a powerful effect on the Muslim community and its supporters as she was attacked while leaving a nearby mosque with fans this past weekend. She was walking with a group of about 15 other teenagers when Darwin Martinez Torres got into a verbal altercation with one of them, got out of the car, struck her in the head with a metal bat and took her away. Her body was later found by a nearby pond following a search by authorities.