BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Brevard County investigators are trying to find out who set fire to a Melbourne church after painting racially charged messages on it.
On Sunday, members of the new Shiloh Christian Center on Sarno Road were celebrating Black History Month, but by Monday they were left to survey the damage left behind from a possible arson.
Bishop Jacquelyn Gordon showed Channel 9's Melonie Holt the storage area where the blaze was set.
"This is actually the second phase of what we're doing here and it's going to be our school, so we were storing some things people had given us for the school some equipment for a beauty school," Gordon said.
The damage is estimated at $5,000, but officials said it wasn't just the fire that contributed to that estimate; Someone spray-painted the Islamic phrase "Allahu Akbar," all across the campus. The phrase roughly translates to "God is most great." There was also a swastika among the graffiti.
"I'll say like the Bible says; they know not what they were doing, and we're not going to hold it against them. We're just keep on moving," said Gordon.
That fire also set off the churches sprinkler system, which sent tens of thousands of gallons of water flowing for hours.
The new center, which just moved to the 125,000-square-foot facility about a year ago, is still making plans to relocate its K-12 school to the location.
"If I never know who they are, I just want them to know that we love them," said Gordon.
WFTV
