Chicago church offers $10K reward after burning cross discovered at Grant Park

Several citizens were outraged to find a cross lit aflame on Tuesday at the same place where President Barack Obama’s victory celebration was held in 2008.

Chicagoans were shocked by an image once inconceivable on Tuesday: a burning cross in Grant Park.

Authorities released an image of a shirtless man leaving the park shortly after the cross was set ablaze. Firefighters quickly extinguished the cross and no injuries were reported.

Alyna and Keinika Carlton spotted the cross and uploaded video and images to social media as the sight prompted an instant reaction.

“We stopped in our tracks because we were like, what?” Alyna Carlton told ABC 7.

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Rev. Michael L. Pfleger said the Faith Community of Saint Sabina offered a $10,000 reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the person of interest in the case.

“This bold rise of racism must be condemned by every race, faith community and Chicagoan, as was done with the swastika,” Pfleger wrote in a statement, adding that the incident should be “treated as a hate crime.”

The Chicago Urban League referred to the act as a “deliberate threat” and an “act of racial terror.”

“It is a deliberate threat, a warning, and a reminder that the fight for freedom in this country is far from over,” CUL president Karen Freeman-Wilson, said in a statement. “Racist rhetoric from elected officials has normalized hatred. Silence from citizens across every sector of society has emboldened it. And a Supreme Court and state legislatures actively dismantling civil rights protections have signaled that Black lives and Black freedom remain negotiable.”

Local authorities are investigating what led to the fire and have released an image of a person of interest who may be connected to the incident.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson issued a statement on the incident, calling it “deeply disturbing.”

“Like many Chicagoans across our city, we were deeply disturbed upon seeing the images which have emerged following this incident. Hate has no place in our city,” the mayor’s office wrote in a statement. “Every Chicagoan deserves to feel safe, protected, and respected while going about their day or enjoying our public spaces. We will continue working across City government to uphold that standard and ensure Chicago remains a welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for all.”