Louisiana Woman Attacked, Set on Fire in Possible Race-Related Crime

Truly heinous.

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Sharmeka Moffitt, a 20-year-old black woman, was doused with a flammable liquid and set on fire in Winnsboro, LA on Sunday night. Some believe that race was a motivator for the brutal attack. When police found Moffitt, she had burns covering more than half of her body. She's currently in critical condition. The letters KKK and a racial slur were burned onto Moffitt's vehicle.

Moffitt told police that she was attacked by three men wearing white hoods or hats, but wasn't able to identify them by race. Early reports said that Moffitt was wearing an Obama shirt, which might've been a trigger for the attack, but the local sheriff's department dismissed those claims. Moffitt's mother, Edna, said that her daughter suffered third-degree burns on both of her arms. Surgery is scheduled for today.

The local NAACP chapter noted that racism is still a problem in Louisiana, but told people to wait until an investigation produces actual facts before passing judgement. The FBI is investigating the incident, but has not decided whether or not the attack will be classified as a hate crime.

[via Gawker]

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