DICKSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Investigators have offered a $5,000 reward in the hopes of finding the person responsible for a fire at a Middle Tennessee church.
Tennessee City Fire Rescue's assistant fire chief Danny Tucker said the incident was likely the result of arson.
"It was a set fire for sure — 100% [a] set fire," Tucker said. "That is why we called TBI [the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] in to assist us."
On the morning of Saturday, Feb. 22 at around 2 a.m., Tucker said crews responded to Friendship Baptist Church because a passerby called in the fire.
"There was somebody here who said they were driving by — pulled the benches out from underneath the awning here at the front porch," Tucker said. "We checked for any extensions [and] things like that."
Investigators said they didn't find an accelerant at the scene, but they thought the suspect had a plan.
"From what we're looking at, they just moved the benches in front of the door and took the front welcome mat that was in front of the front doors, draped it over the benches and set that on fire," Tucker added.
Last month, someone set fire to trash cans at the First Apostolic Church in North Nashville. Senior pastor at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville previously told News 2 the apparent attacks on places of worship are concerning.
"We are in a time now where we have to be very proactive," Stevenson said. "Part of emergency management in churches is also safety with active shooters and all of those things — thing that when I started pastoring 20 years ago were just unheard of."
Friendship Baptist Church is holding services as normal.