A 31-year-old Georgia man is facing federal charges after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in downtown Atlanta, authorities announced Friday, October 23.
Inique Hinton, of Douglasville, Georgia, was charged with attempted arson of a federal building and depredation of government property following the incident on October 20, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Investigators allege surveillance cameras captured Hinton igniting an object and throwing it toward the facility at approximately 8:12 p.m. The device reportedly struck an exterior fence, causing flames to spread.
Authorities later recovered burned cloth, lighter fluid, a glass bottle and a lighter at the scene. The building houses ICE offices and an immigration court.
Hinton was arrested at a residence in Cobb County and taken into custody peacefully, officials said. Prosecutors stated that he could face up to 20 years in federal prison on the attempted arson charge and up to 10 years for the government property charge if convicted.
Authorities have not publicly established a motive. The case remains under investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department.
Officials emphasized that the charges are allegations and that Hinton is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
