A Black family in Little Elm, Texas, woke up to their cars in flames and their home vandalized with spray paint. Jayla Gipson and Charles Crawford believe they were targeted because of a Black Lives Matter yard sign. Little Elm Police Department and federal authorities are investigating the incident.
“That sign was in my yard for less than two weeks, and then all of a sudden we get a tragedy like this,” Gipson said to a WFAA reporter.” I would have preferred they just take the sign. But to set the house on fire? That’s going way too far.”
Gipson and Crawford have lived in Little Elm, Texas, since 2017 and have never experienced any trouble. Gipson’s son was the one who realized the vehicle was on fire after getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
“If he hadn’t done that, my house might be burned down,” Gipson said. “My daughter’s bedroom is towards the front of the house, so this could have been really bad.”
The couple covered the ‘Trump 20’ spray painting on their garage with bedsheets. Neighbors have stepped in to help the family clean up. One neighbor brought over a power washer. The family says they are grateful for their neighbors and the community.
“One neighbor bought us a camera system that I installed, and another bought paint for us to paint over the ‘Trump 20’ left behind,” Crawford said,
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the family.
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“It’s not easy for us to financially take care of this right now,” Gipson said. “It’s just devastating. I never thought this could happen in Little Elm.”
