Arrest in the bombing of University of California, Berkeley police vehicles and three other arsons

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University of California, Berkeley – Authorities arrested a 34-year-old Oakland man on Monday in connection with firebombing a University of California, Berkeley Police vehicle and three other school arsons.

Casey Robert Goonan was booked into the Alameda County Jail on charges of arson and possession and use of destructive devices, Cal Fire said in a news release. His bail was set at $1 million.

Cal Fire said the attacks occurred this month but provided no additional details.

The attacks were investigated by the Cal Fire Marshal’s Office Arson and Bomb Unit, the University of California at Berkeley Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

It was not immediately clear whether the attacks involved a small fire that broke out last Thursday outside Koshland Hall. Messages left with a Cal Fire spokesman were not immediately returned.

A group of supporters of Palestine claimed responsibility for the fire. In a social media post, Palestine Action US wrote that “Last night, UCLA students were attacked, so we firebombed the UCB campus in retaliation.”

The group said people associated with the university interrupted a student protester who was trying to speak. They said more UC Berkeley buildings should be burned and threatened the entire university system with “our wrath of vengeance” if it did not secede from Israel.

No one was injured in the Koshland Hall fire and there was no damage to the building.

Check for updates.

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