Tourists stop woman trying to burn MLK Jr.’s birth home with gasoline, Georgia cops say
It could’ve been “a matter of seconds” before Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth home went up in flames — if not for the quick actions of a few tourists, authorities in Georgia told news outlets.
Now, a 26-year-old woman is charged after Atlanta police said she doused the historic home with gasoline in an attempt to burn it down.
Officers were called at 5:45 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, about a vandalism in progress at the house in Atlanta’s Sweet Auburn neighborhood, according to an Atlanta Police Department news release.
That’s where they arrested the woman, identified as Laneisha Shantrice Henderson.
Two off-duty New York Police Department officers who were visiting the home held her down until authorities arrived, Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told WSB-TV.
Two other tourists visiting from Utah stepped in when they said they saw Henderson dousing the home’s front door, porch and shrubbery with what smelled like gas, WAGA reported, citing police.
“Quick action saved the jewel of our city, something very important to Atlanta,” Schierbaum told WXIA.
Henderson was charged with second-degree arson and interfering with government property, police said. Authorities did not mention a motive and it’s unclear if federal charges are expected.
King’s childhood home was recently closed to the public to undergo renovations, according to the National Park Service. The restoration project is expected to last through the end of 2025.
The King Center addressed the incident in a statement Thursday.
“We thank the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Department, the National Parks Service and Mayor Andre Dickens for leading the efforts to ensure the safety of our cherished national landmark and its adjacent neighbors,” the center said. “Our prayers are with the individual who allegedly committed this criminal act.”
This story was originally published December 8, 2023 at 10:39 AM.