Officials, faith leaders outraged by burning cross in Grant Park, reward offered

Chicago Sun-Times — Jun 10, 19:44 PM

Person suspected of lighting a cross on fire Tuesday afternoon in Grant Park https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ab36f7c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/600x666+0+0/resize/840x932!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc8%2F7b%2F888b7ad24e6ab3ada9ea1bdfd937%2Fscreenshot-2026-06-10-at-1-53-26-pm.png" />

Police Wednesday have released a picture of a person they suspect lit a cross afire in the middle of the afternoon in Grant Park alarming officials, faith leaders and the public.

A shirtless male was seen fleeing from the park where a large cross was set on fire in the to the https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/06/09/cross-burning-grant-park" target="_blank" >600 block of South Columbus Drive around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Firefighters responded to the scene and extinguished the blaze.

In a Community Alert circulated Wednesday, police described the person responsible in the arson as a male who was wearing dark pants, white shoes and was carrying a backpack.

cst.brightspotcdn.jpeg — Police said officers and firefighters responded to the 600 block of South Columbus Drive around 2:30 p.m. after reports came in of an “object” on fire before the fire was put out by firefighters.
Video posted on social media show a wooden cross burning as it leans against a tree and flames spread onto the bark of the tree trunk while someone runs away in the background.

Meanwhile faith leaders have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the male and officials including the mayor and alderperson for the Grant Park are "deeply disturbed."

In a statement announcing the reward, Rev. Michael Pfleger, of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina, called on individuals to respond to the act.

"This bold rise of racism must be condemned by every race, faith community, and Chicagoan as was done with the swastika and treated as a hate crime," Pfleger wrote.

The “motives and circumstances” of the burning are under investigation, police said.

No one was hurt, and no one is in custody.

Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement he was "deeply disturbed upon seeing the images" of the fire and stressed that "hate has no place in our city."

"Every Chicagoan deserves to feel safe, protected, and respected while going about their day or enjoying our public spaces," the mayor said in the statement. "We will continue working across City government to uphold that standard and ensure Chicago remains a welcoming, inclusive, and safe place for all."

Ald.

Brendan Reilly, whose ward covers the Grant Park area, echoed some of the mayor's concerns, saying the burning cross is deeply disturbing given the troubling history and association with hate and racial intimidation.

In a statement, Reilly said: "This incident has understandably caused concern throughout our community.

I am hopeful the Chicago Police Department can utilize the extensive network of POD cameras and private security cameras in the area to identify and apprehend those responsible for this act.”

Jonn Blazey was stopped at a red light on Columbus Drive as he was heading to his Albany Park home Tuesday afternoon when he noticed the blaze.

“I looked over and just saw that there was a big fire that was burning,” Blazey, 44, said.

Blazey called 911 and reported the fire, adding that he saw someone in what he described as “dirty clothes” walking away from the blaze.

Blazey spent 12 years working for nonprofit organizations and was disappointed about the fire but empathetic toward the person responsible.

“I didn’t see any intention behind it other than [a person] suffering,” Blazey said. “I just want us all to be more loving and kind to each other, more willing to make this city better [and] sacrificing ourselves and our feelings sometimes to care for other people.”

Anyone with information is urged to call the Arson section at 312-746-7618 or submit an anonymous tip at https://www.p3tips.com/TipForm.aspx?ID=727#" target="_blank" >CPDTIP.com.

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