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FBI offers $10K reward after historic Atlanta church vandalized

King Day Atlanta
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ATLANTA — The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrests of a group of people accused of vandalizing a historic Atlanta church.

In a press release Thursday, officials said on July 3, in surveillance video obtained by the FBI, 10 people wearing all black spraying the words “if abortions aren't safe, neither are you” on the side of the Ebenezer Baptist Church Heritage Sanctuary.

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This image shows graffiti that was spray-painted onto Ebenezer Baptist Church on July 3, 2022.

According to the FBI, the video later recorded the group, still wearing all black, walking away from the church, crossing Auburn Avenue, and heading towards the Memorial Rose Garden.

A few minutes later, the group was then seen walking away from the garden, no longer wearing black clothing, and separating into a group of 6 and a group of 4, the FBI said.

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This surveillance image shows vandalism suspects.

The incident occurred about a week after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed a constitutional right to abortion.

The agency said if you recognize any of the 10 individuals, you can call 1-800-CALL-FBI or send tips to tips.fbi.gov.

On its website, the National Park Service said the church was the "spiritual home" to the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, who was the co-pastor with his father until his assassination in 1968.

Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock now serves as the church's senior pastor.