Link Between Puyallup, Thurston Co. Jehovah's Witness Arsons Seen

PUYALLUP, WA — A fire that damaged a Jehovah's Witnesses Assembly Hall near Puyallup Tuesday morning shares some characteristics with fires set at Jehovah's Witnesses halls in Thurston County in 2018, according to federal officials.

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. Tuesday at the Jehovah's Witnesses Assembly Hall along 78th Avenue East south of 112th Street East. The fire was set on the outside of the building and burned up one side of a wall. The building's sprinkler system extinguished the fire, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms spokesman Jason Chudy said.

There were surveillance cameras at the assembly hall, Chudy said, but investigators were still sifting through the footage for any leads. The ATF is typically the lead agency when churches are targeted by arsonists.

Jehovah's Witnesses Halls in Thurston County were targeted by vandals in 2018. Two fires caused minor damage at halls in Olympia and Tumwater in March 2018. In May 2018, someone fired 35 rifle rounds into a hall in Yelm. On July 3, 2018, a fire at a Kingdom Hall in Olympia completely destroyed the building, officials said.

No one has been arrested in connection to those fires yet, Chudy said, but there is still a $36,000 reward for information being offered by the ATF, Crime Stoppers of South Sound, and the Arson Alarm Foundation.

It's unclear why Jehovah's Witnesses are being targeted in Puget Sound. There have been no fires reported at halls outside of the region.

The ATF has said that the perpetrator might have a grievance against Jehovah's Witnesses.

Before these fires, the person or persons involved are likely to have shared these strong feelings with others through comments and conversation. ATF believes that the individual or individuals responsible for these incidents may have also exhibited changes in behavior in the hours and days since the fires," the ATF said in a bulletin last December.

The arsonist may have recently undergone a dramatic physical change, like removing facial hair. They may also have unexplained injuries, and may have changed their normal routines recently.

Tips about the Puyallup or Thurston County arsons can be made by calling the ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (283-8477), Crime Stoppers (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or the Arson Alarm Foundation at (800) 552-7766.