Federal authorities have taken a 31-year-old Georgia man into custody following an alleged incident where a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Atlanta. Prosecutors have characterized the act as an "act of terrorism."
Inique Hinton, a resident of Douglasville, faces charges including attempted arson of a federal building and depredation of government property, according to information released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg addressed the media during a press conference, stating, "An attack on federal property is an attack against our democracy. It is an act of terrorism. It is an act of political violence, and it cannot stand."
Incident Details Emerge
According to prosecutors, security footage captured Hinton in the vicinity of the ICE facility, located at 180 Ted Turner Drive, shortly before 8:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
Minutes later, he is accused of igniting an object and propelling it towards the federal building. The projectile reportedly struck the exterior fence, leading to a spread of flames.
Investigators at the scene recovered several items of evidence, including burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle, and a lighter.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) apprehended Hinton on Thursday at a residence in Cobb County.
Hertzberg emphasized the seriousness of the event, remarking, "This was obviously an attack directed at the ICE facility." He indicated that prosecutors would pursue the case with "extreme severity" to convey a clear message that such actions are unacceptable.
He further elaborated on the distinction between legitimate debate and criminal behavior, asserting, "We can talk about immigration, we can have civil discourse, but we cannot allow criminal acts, terroristic acts, like the one that was committed three days ago in our city."
Prior Incidents and Legal Ramifications
The U.S. Attorney also noted that the Atlanta ICE building had been the target of a similar incident approximately six years prior, during the summer of 2020.
"I want to make very clear we are not going back to that," Hertzberg declared. "We will not tolerate attacks on government property and attacks against federal law enforcement."
Atlanta police officers reportedly witnessed the incident and attempted to pursue the suspect but were unsuccessful in apprehending him that night. The FBI subsequently released images of an unidentified individual and offered a reward of up to $20,000 for information leading to the suspect's identification and arrest.
If convicted of attempted arson, Hinton faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. The charge of depredation of government property carries a potential maximum penalty of 10 years.
Authorities have confirmed that the investigation into the incident is still in progress.