Police in Denver, Colorado are seeking three masked suspects in an August 5 arson that killed three adults and two young girls, all of whom were part of the same family. The image showing the suspects you see above was released by the police.
The fire in the 5300 block of N. Truckee Street killed Djibril and Adja Diol, their two-year-old daughter Khadija, and Hassan Diol and her infant daughter Hawa Baye. It “appeared to be deliberately set” by three unknown suspects wearing dark hoodies and full face masks, police said. The suspects fled in a dark 4-door sedan, according to authorities. The trio and their vehicle were pictured in a press release sent by law enforcement via Twitter.
The police department told Law&Crime on Thursday afternoon that there were no updates.
Arson was immediately suspected from the first day of investigation, but authorities at the time were reticent about disclosing evidence. Denver Fire Department Public Information Officer Captain Greg Pixley told reporters at the time that three people managed to get out of the home by jumping from the second story.
The alleged motive behind the fire remains unknown. The five victims were all described as being immigrants from Senegal, and belonging to the same family. A civil rights organization voiced concern that this could’ve been a hate crime, and asked law enforcement to look into this possibility.
“We are praying for the family and friends of those killed in the fire,” Muslim Advocates wrote in a statement obtained by KDVR. “Our hearts are also with Denver’s Senegalese community and all Denverites. Law enforcement authorities must take this suspected murder and arson seriously. Muslims in Colorado may have been threatened by hate-motivated arson before and hate crimes in the state are on the rise.”
A GoFundMe to meant to support the family’s burial in Senegal has raised $195,663 of a $150,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon. Shortly after the deaths, police offered a $14,000 reward for information about the fire.
[Image via Denver Police Department]