Police Say Man Who Vandalized, Burn Masonic Temple Had Made Prior Threats

Kadum Hunter Harwood

Chattanooga Police say a man who vandalized and burned the Masonic Temple across from Finley Stadium had made prior threats against the Masonic group.

Kadum Hunter Harwood, 29, of 96 Harris St., Ringgold, has been returned from Catoosa County, Ga., to Hamilton County to face charges.

Those include arson, harassment, burglary, vandalism and reckless endangerment.

Police said Harwood earlier made direct threats on social media to burn the center on W. 21st Street.

On Monday at 2:12 a.m., firefighters responded to a fire alarm at the center. Arriving firefighters noticed that the front door had been forced open and there were two separate fires on the property.

One fire was in shrubs to the left of the front door. The other was in the cafeteria on a podium that was pushed over.

Video showed Harwood used a chain that was on the front of his older model blue Toyota SUV and also attached to the front door to pull it open. He then went inside with a sledge hammer and vandalized multiple areas of the building.

Video showed him setting the fire on the podium.

He set the fire in the shrubs after exiting the building.

Harwood discharged a large-caliber handgun into the air prior to leaving, police said.

Police said Harwood was known to drive the Toyota SUV seen in the video.