A man wearing an American flag bandana is being investigated for arson after security cameras caught him throwing a Molotov cocktail at the Travis County Democratic Party headquarters in Austin, Texas, early Wednesday morning.
Austin Fire Capt. Brandon Jennings, an arson investigator, said the Molotov cocktail did not fully ignite when it was thrown into the building at around 2 a.m., The Associated Press reported. A stack of papers was set on fire but was put out by people at a bar across the street using a fire extinguisher.
Security camera footage shared on social media shows the suspect throwing the Molotov cocktail through a hole in the building’s glass front door. A rock was later found inside near the entrance, indicating the suspect had broken through the door using the rock. Authorities said the suspect left a note inside as well.
The Travis County Democratic Party’s office in East Austin was hit with an incendiary device last night. No one was injured. Law enforcement is investigating https://t.co/Mr3kmXLK0E pic.twitter.com/fl0NI16TWp
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) September 29, 2021
Jennings said the Molotov cocktail could have done more damage if it had been more forcefully thrown inside the door, according to CBS Austin. been. He noted the use of such a device is “typically to throw it at something” so that the “fire spreads upward and outward and does more damage.” (RELATED: Police Arrest Masked Man Who Chucked A Molotov Cocktail At A Day Care Center)
CBS Austin reporter Bettie Cross shared additional images on social media of the inside entrance, where broken glass and burn marks are easily visible. A picture of security camera footage also shows the suspect wearing an American flag bandana.
Photo of Overnight Fire Suspect: Cameras at the Travis County Democratic Party Headquarters caught the suspect throwing a rock and a Molotov cocktail inside the building. Video of the attack is expected later today. pic.twitter.com/s3BvBtaGDz
— Bettie Cross (@BettieCrossTV) September 29, 2021
Travis County Democratic Party chair Katie Naranjo called the incident “an act of terror,” according to CBS Austin. “I want to make something very clear though, this was an attack,” she said. “There was an intent to start a fire.”