BLACK WOMAN SET ON FIRE BY KLAN MEMBERS IN LOUISIANA
WINNSBORO, La.--A 20-year-old African American woman told police she was set on fire by three men who wrote the initials KKK and a racial slur on her car in northeastern Louisiana.
Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Lt. Julie Lewis says Sharmeka Moffitt was found with burns on 60 per cent of her body when police responded to her 911 call on Sunday night.
Moffitt was taken to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, where she remained in critical condition on Monday afternoon.
Moffitt told police the men doused her in a flammable liquid and set her on fire while she walked through the Civitan Park around 8pm.
She extinguished the fire using water from a spigot before a police officer arrived.
Lewis said the FBI is investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, but that no arrests had been made as of late Monday.
Authorities say Moffitt was attacked and burned by three men wearing white hoodies while she was on the walking trail at the park.
Though the attackers apparently wrote the letters 'KKK' on Moffitt’s vehicle, police said she was unable to determine whether the men were black or white.
Local law enforcement said they were shocked at the attack at the otherwise serene park.
Winnsboro Police Chief Lester Thomas said he was 'devastated' by the incident.
Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb called it 'a horrific event.'
'We will follow the facts and seek justice,' he said.
The victim's family set up a Facebook page, Prayers for Sharmeka Moffitt and soliciting prayers for the 20-year-old.
Louisiana State Police spokeswoman Lt. Julie Lewis says Sharmeka Moffitt was found with burns on 60 per cent of her body when police responded to her 911 call on Sunday night.
Moffitt was taken to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, where she remained in critical condition on Monday afternoon.
Moffitt told police the men doused her in a flammable liquid and set her on fire while she walked through the Civitan Park around 8pm.
She extinguished the fire using water from a spigot before a police officer arrived.
Lewis said the FBI is investigating the attack as a possible hate crime, but that no arrests had been made as of late Monday.
Authorities say Moffitt was attacked and burned by three men wearing white hoodies while she was on the walking trail at the park.
Though the attackers apparently wrote the letters 'KKK' on Moffitt’s vehicle, police said she was unable to determine whether the men were black or white.
Local law enforcement said they were shocked at the attack at the otherwise serene park.
Winnsboro Police Chief Lester Thomas said he was 'devastated' by the incident.
Franklin Parish Sheriff Kevin Cobb called it 'a horrific event.'
'We will follow the facts and seek justice,' he said.
The victim's family set up a Facebook page, Prayers for Sharmeka Moffitt and soliciting prayers for the 20-year-old.
The news reported that the woman lied about the KKK setting her on fire...truth is she set her own self on fire...and wrote KKK on herself.
But you know this story was suspect the first time I heard it. I just couldn't put my finger on it, but it just didn't seem right to me. Reminded me of the Tawanna Brawley case...