Reward increases as FBI continues search for Jehovah's Witness hall attack suspects

Editor's note: The above video is of Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza reacting to previous attacks on Jehovah's Witness Kingdom halls. 

A string of attacks on Jehovah's Witness halls in the South Sound may have been meant to send a message, according to the ATF.

In announcing an increased reward leading to the arrest of the person or people responsible, the FBI said it believes suspect(s) "have a grievance related to the Jehovah's Witness community, or about another issue they think is important."  

Because the seven attacks were located in close proximity to one another, law enforcement believes they are related. 

RELATED: ATF investigating fire at Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in Puyallup

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“It is inevitable that innocent people will be injured or killed if these incidents go unchecked,” Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Darek Pleasants previously said. “We take events at houses of worship very seriously and are appealing to those who live in and around Thurston and the surrounding counties to partner with us in protecting their communities in this investigation.”

There is now a $61,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. 

There were a total of seven reported attacks dating back to March 19, 2018:

• March 19, 2018: Two arson attacks - one at a Tumwater Kingdom Hall and the second at a Kingdom Hall on Cain Road in Olympia. Damage to both was minor, limited to the exterior structures.
• May 15, 2018: An unknown suspect or suspects shot and struck a Kingdom Hall in Yelm with about 35 .223 rifle rounds, causing more than $10,000 in damage to the structure.
• July 3, 2018: An arson completely destroyed the Olympia Kingdom Hall on Cain Road. This was the same Kingdom Hall that was damaged in the March 19 attack.
• Aug. 8, 2018. A fire was set against the back fence at the rear of the Kingdom Hall in Yelm, but members were able to put the fire out. This fire caused minimal damage to the fence and a back wall of the Kingdom Hall. This was the same location where someone fired rifle rounds at it on May 15.
• Dec. 7, 2018: An arson completely destroyed the Lacey Kingdom Hall on 6th Ave SE.
• Aug. 13, 2019: A fire was set at the Puyallup Assembly Hall on 62nd Ave E., causing relatively minor damage to an outside wall and overhang.