Hopewell Baptist Church is damaged by fire and graffiti in Greenville, Mississippi. (Reuters Photo)
A black church in Greenville, Mississippi, caught fire and was spray-painted with the words "Vote Trump" a week before the US presidential election, police said on Wednesday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was working with local authorities to probe the blaze at the Hopewell M.B. Church on Tuesday night.
"The FBI Jackson Division is aware of the situation in Greenville, and we are working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to determine if any civil rights crimes were committed," the federal agency said in a statement.
Police offered few immediate details about the fire and the message about the Republican presidential nominee that was painted on the side the building. A press conference was planned for Wednesday morning.
Black churches in the US South have long been a base of support for the Democratic Party.
The incident in Mississippi comes about two weeks after a suspected arson at the Orange County Republican Party's office in Hillsborough, North Carolina. A message reading "Nazi Republicans leave town or else," was spray-painted near the building.
No arrests have been made in that incident, which Indiana Governor Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential candidate, called "political terrorism."
© Thomson Reuters 2016
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