31-year-old man arrested in Molotov attack on Atlanta ICE building

ATLANTA - A 31-year-old man faces federal arson charges after allegedly hurling a Molotov cocktail at an immigration headquarters building in Downtown Atlanta, federal authorities announced at a news conference on Friday evening.

What we know:

U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg announced that FBI agents took 31-year-old Inique Hinton of Douglasville into custody shortly after 6 p.m. Friday at a home on Panda Lane in Cobb County. Investigators noted that while the location was not Hinton's primary residence, it was a home familiar to him, adding that he surrendered peacefully without incident.

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Prosecutors obtained a federal criminal complaint charging Hinton with two offenses: attempted arson and damaging government property. Hertzberg stated that the arson charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, while the government property damage count carries up to 10 years.

The charges stem from an attack three days prior at 180 Ted Turner Drive, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility that houses the Atlanta Immigration Court, Homeland Security Investigations legal offices, and Enforcement and Removal Operations. Hertzberg said an individual was caught on camera hurling a Molotov cocktail at the building. Atlanta police officers witnessed the act and attempted to chase the suspect, but were unable to catch him as he ran from the scene on foot.

Investigators also recovered burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle and a lighter at the scene, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. 

Teams from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Atlanta Police Department arrived within an hour to collect forensic evidence and pursue leads, leading to Hinton's identification. Investigators noted that federal search warrants were actively being executed Friday evening as part of the case. 

What they're saying:

Federal and local officials condemned the incident during the news conference outside the ICE building Friday evening, calling it a direct threat to the rule of law.

"An attack on federal property is an attack against our democracy," Hertzberg said. "It is an act of terrorism, it is an act of political violence, and it cannot stand. We will not tolerate attacks on government property and attacks against federal law enforcement. We take that absolutely seriously, and we have no tolerance for it."

Hertzberg noted the attack brought back memories of a similar incident at the same facility during the summer of 2020, emphasizing that authorities will not allow a repeat of those actions in the district.

FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Sean Matthews commended the speed of the multi-agency response, which included assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia State Patrol, and Cobb County authorities.

"Within an hour of this incident occurring, we had agents on scene, our evidence response team, and investigative teams from our JTTF as well as along with HSI on the scene collecting evidence and beginning to work this case," Matthews said. "This sends the message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated in the city of Atlanta or the state of Georgia."

Ellen Johnson, acting special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations, added that agents will use every available resource to investigate threats against personnel and institutions to protect the rule of law.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not established a motive for the attack or confirmed whether Hinton was acting alone or in coordination with other individuals. 

While Hertzberg stated he was not aware of Hinton having a history of criminal convictions, officials declined to comment on his prior arrest record.