A driver is accused of hitting a motorcycle, dragging it 150 feet and causing it to burst into flames Tuesday night in the Mid City area.

At 7:45 p.m., San Diego police found a charred motorcycle and vehicle in the 3400 block of Mina Street.

Piecing together the confusing scene, police say there was some type of incident at another scene, which prompted a driver to start pursuing a motorcyclist.

When the car caught up to it, investigators believe the driver intentionally hit the bike and dragged it 150 feet down Chollas Parkway. At the end of the crash site, the motorcycle burst into flames.

The car's driver and passenger took off, and the motorcyclist was left with minor injuries, investigators say.

Officers found the male driver and his female passenger several blocks away and took them into custody. The man was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, which would be the car.

A gun was recovered at the scene, but officers do not believe it was used in the crime.

The investigation is ongoing.

Two motorcycle officers shot and killed an armed man who police say pulled a gun on them in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter Tuesday. 

Just after 2 p.m., the officers discovered a 39-year-old African American man interfering with traffic and causing a disturbance in the area of 6th Avenue and F Street, according to SDPD Capt. David Nisleit.

As officers approached him, the suspect started running from them into the middle of the street. Nisleit said the man then turned, pulled a large caliber handgun from his backpack and pointed it at the officers.

The police, feeling threatened, opened fire on the man. According to officials, the officers had ordered the man to drop the weapon.

Falling to the ground, the man did not release his grip on his gun. Again, he did not follow officers' orders to let go of it, and when he started to sit up with weapon in hand, they shot him again, Nisleit said.

The man was taken to UC San Diego Medical Center, where he died.

His identity is being withheld until his family is notified, but investigators say the suspect was wanted on an armed robbery warrant out of Virginia. He was considered armed and dangerous there.

The two officers involved have been with the SDPD for 30 and 25 years, respectively.

"We do know that the officers were equipped with body worn cameras. At this time in the investigation, it appears that the cameras were not on," said Nisleit.

When investigators interview the officers Tuesday night or Wednesday morning, they will determine why the cameras were not on.

However, cellphone footage from witnesses and security camera video from nearby buildings did capture the incident, so those videos will be handed over to the District Attorney's office when they start their investigation, as is protocol with fatal police shootings.

The officers were in the area to do traffic enforcement.

Nisleit said at this point in the investigation, he cannot determine if the suspect's weapon was fired.

"I have taken a close look at this weapon, and from my opinion, it looks real; it looks like a very large semi automatic pistol, but that will be determined as part of the investigation," said Nisleit. "The crime lab will test if it's real and if it can be fired." 

The SDPD is blocking off F Street from 6th to 7th Avenue; the investigation is expected to continue late into the night. Soon after the shooting, more than 20 patrol cars were at the scene.

Crime scene tape blocked off the intersection by the Andaz Hotel.

Ramona Bommer, who works in a building by the incident, described what she heard and saw.

"I was in the building and I heard this 'pop pop pop' and I thought, what on earth is going on? Looked out the window and there was a motorcycle cop and there was a body in the street," she said.

Officers were checking the IDs of anyone leaving the scene.

Vice President Joe Biden has decided not to run for president in 2016. 

After weeks of speculation about whether he would jump in, Biden announced on Oct. 21, that he would not make a third run for the presidency because he doesn't have enough time to pull together the necessary campaign. 

"What I’ve said time and again is it may very well be that the process, by the time we get through it, closes the window," Biden said during a press conference at the Rose Garden with President Obama looking on. "I concluded it has closed. "

The Vice President's announcement comes a week after a heated debate between the democratic presidential candidates in Las Vegas. Many analysts said that Hillary Clinton's strong performance in that debate, and her adherence to Obama Administration policies effectively closed the door for Biden. A recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll showed Biden in third place behind Clinton and Bernie Sanders. 

Biden has been publicly mourning the death of his 46-year-old son, Beau. The vice president's late son died on May 30 from brain cancer.

"Beau is our inspiration," Biden said. "Unfortunately I believe we’re out of time, time to mount a winning nomination for the nomination"

During the announcement, Biden said that he wouldn't sit on the sidelines of the presidential election and would be an active campaigner.

"While I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent," Biden said, signaling that he would play the role of party enforcer and make sure Democratic candidates do not run away from Obama.

"This country will be making a tragic mistake if we walk away and try to undo the Obama legacy," Biden said. "Democrats should not only defend this record, they should run on this record." 

He also decried a political atmosphere that pits Democrats and Republicans as enemies. 

"They're not our enemies, they're our opposition," Biden said before launching into a speech that detailed many of the things he would have focused on as a presidential candidate -- including curing cancer and improving education. 

A group called Draft Biden 2016, which had been running advertisments encouraging the Vice President to run, released a statement after Biden's announcement. 

"We are so grateful for the gigantic outpouring of support from hundreds of thousands of Americans around the country in our effort to encourage the Vice President to run. While the Vice President has decided not to run, we know that over the next year he will stand up for all Americans and articulate a vision for America's future that will leave no one behind."

The IRS will recognize same-sex marriages for tax purposes nationwide — even if they took place in any of the states that still haven't legalized them — the U.S. Treasury said Wednesday, NBC News reported.

The Treasury's announcement of proposed regulations to "interpret the terms 'husband' and 'wife' to include same-sex spouses" essentially formalizes the inevitable after the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in June legalizing same-sex marriages.

IRS regulations already allowed the agency to accept returns from same-sex couples identifying themselves as married, but only from the 37 states and other U.S. territories that had legalized the unions.

A swimmer whose body was found in Florida Monday was killed by an alligator, officials said Wednesday.

The Volusia County Medical Examiner's Office has ruled the death of James Okkerse as being consistent with an alligator attack, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told NBC News Wednesday. 

Okkerse went missing in Blue Spring State Park just before 9 a.m. Monday and his body was found that afternoon, NBC affiliate WESH reported.

A commission spokesman said a 12-and-a-half-foot alligator that was caught and euthanized has been confirmed to have been involved in the attack.
 

Two women who brought accusations against former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner could receive $99,000 from the city, if their settlement is approved.

In a meeting next week, the San Diego City Council will discuss a lawsuit filed against the city by Michelle Tyler and Katherine Ragazzino.

Ragazzino, a Marine veteran, suffered a traumatic brain injury and PTSD while serving in Iraq. When she encountered issues with the Department of Veterans Affairs, vocational nurse Tyler went with her to ask then-mayor Filner for help.

In the mayor’s office, Filner allegedly asked Ragazzino to leave the meeting and then began giving compliments to Tyler. Tyler claimed that Filner implied he would only help solve Ragazzino’s problem with the VA if Tyler agreed to go on a date with him.

Filner resigned from office in August 2013 after more than a dozen women came forward to accuse him of inappropriate behavior.

In October 2013, Filner pleaded guilty to felony false imprisonment and two misdemeanor charges of battering involving victims of sexual harassment. He was sentenced to 90 days of house arrest.

Last year, the city paid $250,000 to another Filner accuser, Irene McCormack Jackson, who said Filner harassed her several times while she worked as his communications director.

At least four other women have

filed lawsuits

against the city and Filner in connection with the scandal.

Sometimes when you are struggling or “off your game” so to speak, you need to get back to the basics.

Growing up for years we’ve heard about the KISS method. Those four letters stand for “Keep It Simple, Stupid.”

In the NFL, the simplest way to increase your winning percentage is to come up with more takeaways than turnovers.

Protect the ball and you're probably going to win.

The Chargers are minus-4 in turnovers. That's a big reason why they're 2-and-4.

And a big problem has been rookie running back Melvin Gordon putting the ball on the ground.

He has 3 fumbles in his last 2 games, and dropped a pair in Green Bay on Sunday. Gordon actually leads all running backs with 4 total fumbles through 6 contests.

That's why he was benched for the entire second half against the Packers.

Melvin did not practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury but he said in the locker room that he will be healthy enough to play this weekend against the Raiders. How much Gordon plays against Oakland is the big question.

To his credit he is willing to speak at length about his recent struggles. He also admitted to being benched in the Packers game because of the fumbles (not the injury) and that he understands he must do a better job holding on to the pigskin.

“Coach was telling me that you can’t play here – or anywhere (in the NFL) – putting the ball on the ground,” said Gordon. “They’ll find someone else who can hold on to the ball. So he just let me know and you know he didn’t need to tell me that. You kind of know. If you can’t hold on to the ball, someone else will.”

“He seems to have the right approach,” added quarterback Philip Rivers. “He does not need more and more voices saying “On to the last play,” and “next game” and all that. He’ll be just fine. Again I think there’s been this expectation for him and I still think he can live up to all those (expectations).”

Even LaDainian Tomlinson fumbed 8 times as a rookie. We can all agree he turned out to be pretty good. Hall of Fame good.

Plus the guys who are supposed to block for Gordon have not been great.

The good news is Chargers left tackle King Dunlap and left guard Orlando Franklin were both back at practice on Wednesday. They could be in the starting lineup again for the Oakland game at Qualcomm Stadium.

Franklin has not played since injuring his right leg during the team’s week 3 loss at Minnesota.

Also included on the Chargers injury report but practicing in full were rookie linebacker Kyle Emanuel and safety Jahleel Addae. Offensive lineman Chris Watt and wide receiver Stevie Johnson were limited participants.

Offensive playmakers Antonio Gates (knee) and Keenan Allen (hip) did not suit up Wednesday. Lineman Chris Hairston and DJ Fluker are still battling ankle injuries and did not practice. Ditto safety Eric Weddle (groin), rookie cornerback Craig Mager (hamstring), and linebackers Manti Teo (ankle) and Tourek Williams (foot).

The U.S. Department of Education has launched a civil rights investigation into the University of Mary Washington after a member of a campus feminist group was murdered.

Members of that group – including Grace Mann, who was killed in April – said they had been threatened with rape and murder on the social media app Yik Yak.

Yik Yak allows users to remain anonymous and is popular on college campuses.

Attorney Debra Katz had filed a complaint with the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights, charging that the Fredericksburg, Virginia university, had failed to protect students from a "threatening and sexually hostile campus environment."

"The goal is to make colleges safe for all students – women, people of color, the LGBT community," Katz said at a press event Wednesday, "and to put a legal obligation firmly on schools to make that happen."

The university said it welcomes the investigation and the guidance of the Department of Education.

"At the University of Mary Washington, the prevention of sexual misconduct is an institutional priority," the university said in a statement. "Appropriately, it is also a priority for the federal government."

Mann, 20, was found dead in the Fredericksburg house she shared with several roommates, including former University of Mary Washington student Steven Briel. Briel has been charged in Mann's murder.

At a hearing in June, one of Mann's female housemates testified in court that before she got home, she received a chilling text message from Briel asking when she and another roommate would be home.

He wrote that he had been in the room Mann and the other roommate shared, "and I made a mess," the roommate testified. The motive in the case is still unclear.

As former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton prepares to testify about the deadly 2012 attacks that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, the frustrated mother of a man who died in the violence is demanding "the truth for a change."

San Diego resident Patricia Smith lost her son, Sean, in the Sept. 11, 2012 attack, when insurgents stormed the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi and overwhelmed security. They killed four Americans: Sean Smith; U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens; and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods, of Imperial Beach; and Glen Doherty, of Encinitas, California.

Sean was a state department communications specialist, and his mother said more than three years after his death, she is still waiting for answers from Clinton.

"Why does she get to know what happened and I don't? What is so… it was her department. How come she let my son be killed, how come? She knew this was happening," said Patricia Smith.

Patricia Smith said the state department told her she was not a member of Sean’s immediate family, so did not have to release details of his death to her.

She hopes to get some answers when Clinton goes before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Capitol Hill Thursday. Clinton, a Democratic candidate for president, was the U.S. secretary of state during the attacks.

"I hope she opens up her mouth and says something that's the truth for a change," Patricia Smith said. "She promised she would get back to me and tell me what happened; she has never, ever communicated with me."

Committee chairman Trey Gowdy said he wants to ask Clinton why U.S. security was not enforced as the conditions in Libya got worse. But in recent weeks, some Republicans have suggested Clinton herself is the panel's target.

During last week's Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Clinton said she'll answer all questions but believes this is a concerted Republican effort to derail her campaign.

"This committee is basically an arm of the Republican National Committee," she said. "It is a partisan vehicle as admitted by the House Republican Majority Leader Mr. McCarthy to drive down my poll numbers."

One committee member, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California, agreed with Clinton’s view.

"After 17 months, $4.5 million, we have nothing new to tell the families, apart from that there was a private email server," said Schiff. "That doesn't tell us anything about Benghazi."

Five House committees and two Senate committees have held hearings on Benghazi. Clinton testified at two of them, taking responsibility for the tragedy and agreeing to improve security at diplomatic outposts.

Thursday marks the first time Clinton will testify before Congress about the private server she used for emails during her time as secretary of state.

New video has surfaced showing the punch heard round the sports world: An Eagles fan slugging a Giants fan at a SEPTA Terminal after the Eagles defeat the Giants Monday night in Philadelphia.

SEPTA Police Released surveillance video on Wednesday from 69th Street Terminal showing a confrontation between the Giants fan and a group of several men decked out in Eagles gear at 69th Street a few minutes before the punch was thrown. Police said the entire confrontation at the terminal that culminated in blows to the Giants' fan's face lasted about four minutes and was picked up by several cameras throughout the terminal.

They're now using that surveillance footage -- in addition to footage they're looking to obtain from the train the group took, as well as other stations they passed through -- to identify both the puncher and the punchee.

In the video, it appears that the Giants fan, wearing a red jersey, taunts a group of Eagles fans a few minutes before the blows are thrown. A woman with the Giants fan appears to attempt to calm him down to no avail.

Police are asking that both the man punched and the man who threw the punches, as well as any witnesses, come forward.

"There was a lot going on there for four minutes," SEPTA Police Chief Tom Nestel III said. "There are two sides to every story and it would be a smart move on the person who punched to come in and tell his side before we get the victim and hear his side."

Nestel said police believe the people involved in the brawl got on the Broad Street Line at AT&T Station after leaving Monday night's game at Lincoln Financial Field, took the subway to City Hall, and then got on a Market-Frankford El train west to 69th Street Terminal, in Upper Darby, where the confrontation escalated. Police suspect some words were likely exchanged on the train.

The confrontation escalated to blows that knocked the Giants fan to the ground toward the western side of the terminal, where trolleys are, police said. The man who was punched gets up quickly in the video and walks away with the woman, not appearing to be seriously injured, but police said they still want to talk to him to sort out what happened.

The punch was also caught on cell phone camera and posted to YouTube.

To add insult to the Giants fan's injury, the Eagles beat the Giants 27-7 Monday night.

Anyone with information is asked to call 215-580-8111.

The brother of a young artist shot dead three weeks ago while working on a mural in Oakland said at the work’s unveiling Wednesday that the violence that took Antonio Ramos’ life was antithetical to the community project’s goal of uplifting the neighborhood.

"How many walls do we have to paint for this to stop?" Leano Rice asked.

Backed by ArtEsteem, the third installation of the "Oakland Super Heroes Mural Project" features colorful Victorian homes and a tree-lined street. It was dedicated to Ramos who was killed while painting a portion of it on Sept. 29.

According to witnesses, the muralist got into a brief, but heated discussion with a man who was passing by that fateful Tuesday. The man, who remains at large, pulled out a gun and fired it at Ramos, witnesses said.

"We lose track of our humanity and we end up walking around, doing things like what happened to my brother," Rice said.

On Wednesday afternoon, attendees gathered on the 3500 block of West Street – where the 27-year-old Emeryville resident was gunned down – to view the third of six murals planned in West Oakland. The unveiling ceremony was emotional for many who recalled their slain colleague and friend.

"[We’re] always, always thinking about Antonio," lead artist Javier Rocabado said. "Every day when we come here, when we [paint] the mural, we think about Antonio because he was part of the crew."

The 4,000-square-foot mural enlivens what is otherwise a dark passage beneath an Interstate 580 overpass. It was designed in 2014 by West Oakland Middle School students who envisioned themselves as superheroes combatting their communities’ problems, according to the project’s website.

Organizers set up an Indiegogo fundraiser to collect $10,000 – the outstanding amount needed to complete the large mural. As of Wednesday, 196 backers had donated $11,383 to the cause.

"Despite the horrific loss of our gifted muralist, our team forged ahead and refused to allow Antonio Ramos’ work and life end in vain," they wrote. "The mural stands as a beacon of hope and perseverance in spite of the violence that continues to plague our communities."

The city’s Mayor Libby Schaaf told attendees Wednesday that they were standing in front of everything that is both right and wrong with Oakland, wrapped up in one powerful image.

Oakland police say the photo of a person of interest, shared with the public on Oct. 5 continues to be a key part of the investigation into Ramos’ death.

The photo, taken from a video surveillance camera, shows a slender African-American man wearing a blue Adidas sweatshirt with a white zipper and a black cap. He appears to be in his 20s and about 6 feet tall. Police have yet to disclose why they suspect the man.

"The case is not growing cold," Officer Johnna Watson said. "Investigators continue to work the leads and tips that come in, confident they are going to be able to solve this case and bring closure."

Nicole Ambrize, who knows one of the contributing artists and brought her son to the unveiling, said she believes in what the mural stands for.

"It just shows there is good and there are people who can rally around and see beauty in darkness," Ambrize said.

A Connecticut woman got lost on Metropolitan District Commission reservoir trails in West Hartford after running away from a bear on Tuesday and spent the night in the woods.

Alexis Aldrich, 23, went for a walk on a familiar trail on Tuesday afternoon and decided to stray from her normal route when she came across a trail she had not been before.

While checking out the new route, she got lost, came across a bear and ran to escape it.

Disoriented, and without a phone to call for help, Aldrich couldn't find her way back and spent the night in the woods before she was found late Wednesday morning.

The woman was shaken up from the incident and hungry, but medical personnel evaluated her as a precaution and determined she had no injuries.

Her mother picked her up and took her home.

The reservoir has over 30 miles-worth of trails and paths, so it's easy to get lost, said West Hartford

Police Lt. Ted Stoneburner, who urges people not to walk alone if they can help it and to bring a phone with them so they have a way to call for help in an emergency.

At least a dozen officers were involved in the search.
 

The San Diego Regional Airport Authority filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Judicial Council of California, saying the three cranes used to build its downtown courthouse’s expansion pose a threat to planes landing at Lindbergh Field.

Airport officials say the cranes’ height could cause the diversion of flights in bad weather or even a "horrific plane crash."

In its 16-page lawsuit, the Airport Authority accuses the Judicial Council, its contractors and crane operators of creating a “hazard to air navigation” at its B Street construction site.

According to the document, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) approved one crane, not three, with a maximum height of 472 feet above ground level, appropriate markings and lighting on the equipment at night. Instead, the contractor put up three cranes that stand more than 650 feet above the ground and are not marked or lit correctly, the suit says.

San Diego’s Lindbergh Field forces pilots to make a steeper landing than at most airports because the terrain drops less than a mile from the runway. If they miss an approach, pilots must have enough space to quickly fly up again.

“Taller obstacles relative to the missed approach surface, such as the Cranes create an adverse hazard that could result in a horrific plane crash over downtown San Diego,” the suit states.

If the cranes are not lowered, "substantial" cancellations and diversions from the airport will take place, officials say.

The Airport Authority seeks a temporary restraining order on the expansion which, if granted, would stop work until two of the cranes are removed. A hearing on the issue is scheduled for Thursday.

Judicial Council of California spokesperson Tersea Ruano emailed NBC 7 this response: "We're certain the issue will be resolved quite soon. The well-regarded contractors, Rudolph and Sletten, are being responsive to the situation."

Because of the cranes, the FAA has issued at least four warnings of potential hazards along the flight path to the airport.

“The forecasted El Nino conditions, including increased fog and cloud cover, will exacerbate the problem of pilots being able to see the Airport runway from 1.5 miles out,” the lawsuit says.

Construction on the more than $500 million courthouse expansion is scheduled to wrap up in October 2016. When finished, the courthouse will stand 389 feet above ground level.

Attacks carried out by ISIS jumped 42 percent over the past three months, according to new data published by IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Center Thursday.

The data shows a total of 1,086 ISIS attacks took place globally between July 1 and Sept. 30. The average daily number of attacks increased to 11.8 from 8.3 in the preceding quarter.

There is a margin of error, according to IHS, since the actual number of attacks is likely higher because the data recorded only included operations definitively linked to ISIS by governments.

The vast majority of attacks during the reported period took place in Iraq and Syria.

Albuquerque police have arrested a suspect in the shooting of an officer who was shot multiple times during a traffic stop on Wednesday night, authorities said.

The gunman was believed to have fled on foot, leading to a manhunt involving more than 100 law enforcement officers.

"We have an officer fighting for his life right now," Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden Jr. told reporters Wednesday.

The officer, whose name was not immediately released, was left critically injured and was undergoing a second round of surgery late Wednesday, police said.

Alburquerque police arrested a man on Wednesday in connection with the fatal shooting of a 4-year-old girl believed to be motivated by road rage, police said.

Tony Torrez, 32, admitted to the shooting, Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden Jr. said late Wednesday.

Torrez is charged with a number of offenses and is being held in lieu of a $650,000 cash-only bail, police said. He was said to be a "person of interest" in the case before his arrest.

Illiana "Lilly" Garcia was fatally shot in the head after shots were fired into the truck she was riding in on Tuesday.

The “principal planner” and five other suspects behind Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman’s jail break were arrested, Mexico’s attorney general said on Wednesday.

Attorney General Arely Gomez said the man behind the escape repeatedly entered the prison that held Guzman.

Guzman, the head of the Sinaloa drug cartel, escaped in July through a tunnel leading from the shower of his jail cell.

Those detained include a pilot believed to be a Sinaloa associate, a tunnel builder and Guzman’s brother-in-law. Gomez did not release the names of any of the new detainees.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton will testify on Thursday in front of a Republican-led committee about the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans.

What she says could have major implications for her campaign for the presidency.

Here’s what you need to know about the attack and the investigation, according to NBC News and the Associated Press.

Attackers scaled the wall of a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012. The compound was not reinforced and a group of attackers were able to open a gate and set fire to the building.

The attackers were a disorganized group of militants who decided at the spur of the moment to storm the compound, according to then-acting CIA Director Michael Morell.

Police in New Jersey have issued an arrest warrant for a white supremacist who made headlines for naming his children after Adolf Hitler and other members of the Nazi Party.

Holland Township Police in Hunterdon County put out a social media plea for the arrest of Isidore "Heath" Campbell, 42, after an alleged assault. Police have not released details of the incident but said Campbell will be charged with aggravated assault.

Campbell and then-wife Deborah Campbell gained national attention in December 2008 after a ShopRite supermarket in Greenwich Township, New Jersey, refused to write the name of their son – Adolf Hitler Campbell – on a cake for his third birthday. The couple complained the refusal constituted discrimination. A Pennsylvania Walmart store later made the "Hitler" birthday cake.

In 2013, Campbell – dressed in Nazi uniform – marched into a New Jersey courthouse to petition a family court judge to allow him to see his youngest son. The New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services said they took the boy because of previous violence in the home.

"I'm going to tell the judge, 'I love my children. I want to be a father; let me be it,'" Campbell told NBC10 before court proceedings. "Let me prove to the world that I am a good father."

The father of four, who gave his children the Nazi-inspired names Adolf Hitler Campbell, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell, Honzlynn Jeannie Campbell and Heinrich Hons Campbell, lost custody of his children but was given visitation rights.

Police asked anyone who knows about Campbell's whereabouts to call 908-995-4670.

A suspected arsonist targeted a seventh St. Louis-area church Thursday morning, authorities said, NBC News reported. 

Firefighters responded to the Shrine of St. Joseph just after 1:30 a.m. The front doors of the rectory had been burned with a small amount of accelerant, the St. Louis Fire Department said in a news release. The rectory was empty at the time and there were no reported injuries.

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the fire appears similar to the other recent arsons in the St. Louis area in which only the front doors of churches were burned.

While the Shrine of St. Joseph has a mostly white congregation, many of the other churches are predominantly black, according to NBC affiliate KSDK. No known motive has been suggested by authorities.