The Youngstown arson investigator is collecting evidence following the discovery of a fire bomb thrown through the window of a church social hall.
The so-called Molotov cocktail, which is usually a bottle of gasoline and burning rag, was discovered inside the hall behind the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church at 53 Laird Avenue.
The church is on the city’s West Side off Steel Street.
It appears that someone broke out the center of a block glass window at the hall to toss the bomb inside.
Police say the device was on fire at some point, but did not explode.
There are currently no suspects.
Update: Youngstown police now say it was not a Molotov cocktail hat was found inside a west side church hall early Thursday. Police now say burning construction debris was thrown into the Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Church Social Hall on Laird Avenue. They believe that some juveniles were responsible for the action, and that they do not consider it a hate crime.
Officers told 21 News earlier that they were called to the church at around 7 a.m. when someone discovered a Molotov cocktail, which is usually a bottle filled with some type of accelerant like gasoline, and then set on fire. It appears that someone broke out the center of a block glass window at the hall to toss the burning debris inside. Although the debris was burning when it was tossed inside, it did not cause significant damage.
