A 26-year-old woman made headlines this week after authorities said she tried to burn down Martin Luther King Jr’s birth home, a beloved National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia.
Laneisha Shanrice Henderson was charged with interfering with government property and second-degree attempted arson for carrying out the alleged act on Thursday, according to preliminary details from the police.
Two bystanders from Utah who were in town for work noticed Henderson pouring gasoline on the property and were able to stop her, officials said. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said their efforts “saved an important part of American history.” The two-story home in Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue district was where Martin Luther King Jr. was born on Jan. 15, 1929, and lived until he was 12. The National Park Service has owned the Queen Anne-style structure since 2018, and tours are given of the home.
Two off-duty officers from the NYPD were able to detain her until local police arrived at the scene just before 6 p.m. and took her into custody, per reports. She was transported to Grady Detention Center for a psychological evaluation and then to Fulton County Jail after being discharged.
Video of the incident posted on social media shows the suspect wearing all black, holding a red gasoline can, and splashing the liquid on the porch. In another clip, the tourists explained to police what they witnessed, adding that they saw the woman attempt to grab a lighter. She was also caught on surveillance cameras. An incident report obtained by 11 Alive revealed that Henderson showed up to the area in a black car with no shoes on her feet.
One of the bystanders, Zach Zempf, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he initially thought she was watering plants until he smelled gasoline.
“I have plants I take care of, and I know a watering can really isn’t that big, and so I figured, ‘Oh, she’s got a five gallon gas can, it’s just a good large can,” he said.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center released a statement thanking the bystanders and law enforcement who stepped in.
“We thank the Atlanta Police Department, Atlanta Fire Department, the National Parks Service, and Mayor Andre Dickens for leading the efforts to ensure the safety of our cherished national landmarks and its adjacent neighbors. Our prayers are with the individual who allegedly committed this criminal act,” the statement said.
According to the AJC, Henderson, a Florida resident, is a decorated Navy veteran and left the service in 2020. She served for four years. It’s unclear why she was in Atlanta, but Zempf told the outlet he spoke with her family, who said that they were searching for her and she was experiencing mental distress.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
