Black Firefighter's Home Targeted After He Receives Racist Letter

Kenneth Walker, a volunteer firefighter with North Tonawanda Fire Department, embraces his wife, Amanda, at his New York home.
(Image by Screenshot WGRZ-TV / NBC News)   Details   DMCA

Detectives on Thursday were investigating a suspicious blaze that gutted the home of a Buffalo, New York, suburb's only black firefighter — two days after he reported finding a racist and threatening letter in his mailbox. Neither 28-year-old Kenneth Walker nor his wife Amanda or their two kids were at their North Tonawanda apartment on Wednesday when the blaze broke out, local police said. "FBI has received a copy of the note left at Mr. Walker's residence and we were notified of the fire that occurred there," FBI spokeswoman Maureen Dempsey said in a statement. "Our office is conducting a review to determine what investigative steps are indicated under FBI policy with regard to federal jurisdiction in this matter."