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U.S. Attorney's Office for Southern District of Illinois issued the following announcement on Apr. 12.
U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft and FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Sean M. Cox reaffirm their commitment to investigating and prosecuting hate crimes in Southern Illinois and urge members of the public to report all incidents where a federal hate crime may have occurred. A violent act motivated by bias towards a person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability can qualify as a federal hate crime.
“Safeguarding the civil rights promised by our laws and the Constitution strikes at the very core of our mission at the Department of Justice,” said U.S. Attorney Weinhoeft. “All violence is condemnable, but violence born from bigotry and hatred leaves especially deep scars – not just on the victims but on all of us. This office will vigorously investigate and prosecute any hate crimes committed in this district. If you or someone you know has been the victim of a federal hate crime, we want to know about it.”