Arson Investigation At Renton Church With Gay Pride Display

RENTON, WA — Renton police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms search a neighborhood in southeast Renton Wednesday morning after a possible arson and related explosion, police said. The investigation was focused on a church with a prominent gay pride display, and the FBI is involved.

The investigation closed the 15500 block of 116th Avenue Southeast, which is between Beacon Way and Southeast 160th Street, until Wednesday afternoon. Images from the scene showed agents on foot with K9 dogs.

The search was focused around the United Christian Church, which has an LGBTQ pride decoration on its front lawn. An array of doors painted in the colors of the pride flag say, "God's doors are open to all." One of the doors had a hole blown in it on Wednesday.

According to the Renton Reporter, the display has been vandalized recently. This week, Renton Mayor Denis Law raised the pride flag over City Hall for the first time in city history.

Patch has reached out to the FBI for comment. We will update this post as soon as we hear back.