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Group says Tulane Dorm Fire Was Politically Motivated

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Three people have been arrested for a dorm fire at Tulane University in New Orleans that a campus group says was politically motivated.

News outlets reported Tulane police arrested 21-year-old Robert Money, 20-year-old David Shelton, and 20-year-old Naima Okami and charged them with arson. Tulane spokesman Mike Strecker says Money and Shelton are Tulane students. He says Okami attends Brown University in Rhode Island.

A police report says the three ignited a plastic sign on a door Saturday. Police are trying to determine the motive. But the libertarian organization Young Americans for Liberty said the fire targeted group member Peyton Lofton.

Group officials said Lofton had recently been targeted on social media for his political beliefs. Lofton and the group issued statements criticizing political violence and calling for civil discussions.