A federal investigation has been launched after a suspected arson Sunday night outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland, the Baltimore Fire Department said in a statement.
Remnants of a fire were found on Monday at the locked front gate of the museum. According to Howard Libit, the Executive Director of the Baltimore Jewish Council, a security camera system captured the suspect pulling up to the museum at 10:30 p.m. and lighting an object on fire before fleeing the scene. A member of the museum’s renovation team discovered the aftermath—residue of the material and scorch marks—Monday morning.
“We are in the very early stages of the investigation,” Baltimore police spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge told FOX45 News. “Through the course of the investigation, officers will be able to determine if the incident will be investigated as a hate crime.”
The museum is located between two historic synagogues on Baltimore’s Lloyd Street. The Lloyd Street Synagogue is Maryland’s oldest synagogue, having welcomed its first congregants in 1845. The museum has been closed for the past year due to renovations and has not reported any prior threats to its property or staff.
“It’s hard to believe someone would randomly light a small fire outside an institution that’s clearly labeled as Jewish between two historic synagogues that there’s not some antisemitic or anti-Israel intent,” Libit said.
The museum did not immediately respond to a request for comment.