Arrest Made In Chattanooga Masonic Center Arson, Vandalism

  • Monday, September 4, 2023

A suspect has been taken into custody and faces multiple charges in connection with damages done to the Chattanooga Masonic Center.

Kadum Harwood, 29, was arrested Monday evening in Catoosa County, Ga., and he will be extradited to Hamilton County. He is charged with arson, vandalism, burglary and reckless endangerment in the incident at the Masonic Lodge on Labor Day in the early morning hours.

Through the course of a multi-agency investigation involving CFD investigators and law enforcement, Harwood was identified as the suspect in the case.

The Chattanooga Fire and Chattanooga Police were investigating the incident at the Chattanooga Masonic Center involving arson and vandalism that happened early Monday morning.

Firefighters responded to the Masonic Lodge at 551 W. 21st Street on a fire alarm activation at 2:11 a.m. Monday

When CFD personnel arrived on scene, they found a fire on the left front exterior of the building which was quickly extinguished. The front doors were also open and as crews made entry, they found another small fire inside the structure which had activated the sprinkler system. The sprinklers effectively extinguished the interior fire.

Along with fire and water damage, there was also damage to the building from vandalism.

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