A volunteer firefighter from North Tonawanda, New York received a racist and threatening letter on Monday, and on Wednesday morning, his home burned down.
Firefighter Kenneth Walker, 28, says his family is safe, and he was not at home during the fire, but they lost everything. Officials said his two cats died in the fire, WGRZ reports.
It is not clear how the fire started. The North Tonawanda Fire Department has been investigating the fire. The FBI is also looking into the case.
On Monday, Walker received a letter that used the n-word, saying that black people are not allowed to be firefighters and “no one wants you in this city.” It also pressured Walker to resign from his position “or you will regret it.”
[WGRZ]
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Inside Elon Musk’s War on Washington
- Meet the 2025 Women of the Year
- The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion
- Why Do More Young Adults Have Cancer?
- Colman Domingo Leads With Radical Love
- How to Get Better at Doing Things Alone
- Cecily Strong on Goober the Clown
- Column: The Rise of America’s Broligarchy
Contact us at letters@time.com