By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-06-16 21:07:25 | Updated at 2026-06-17 19:27:18
22 hours ago
The culprit behind a Ku Klux Klan (KKK)-style cross burning in a Chicago park has unmasked himself as a Trump-hating Asian American.
Merlin Lu, 21, of Naperville, claimed he is the one responsible for setting the religious symbol ablaze in Grant Park on June 9.
The stunt took place in the same park where former President Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech when he was elected the nation's first black president in 2008.
It sparked a furious backlash and prompted the Chicago Police Department to release photos of a suspect, which Lu has now claimed is him.
Police have confirmed a person is in custody for arson, but have not confirmed if it is Lu.
University of Illinois Chicago senior Lu told NBC Chicago he concocted the stunt as a way to protest President Donald Trump and the MAGA Christian nationalists that support him.
'He's just scamming people,' Lu told the outlet. 'And I think that's a great reflection of how this country works right now, where money controls everything. Money has power over health care. Money has power over transportation.'
The cross was set ablaze with a red MAGA hat on top of it.
Merlin Lu, 21, of Naperville, claimed he was the one who set a cross on fire in Grant Park on June 9
He claimed the cross burning – which is largely associated with the KKK – was not racially motivated, but rather a dig at Trump and the MAGA Christian nationalist that follow him
Grant Park is the same place former President Barack Obama held his victory speech in 2008
'I don't want to wait till [Trump's] term ends. I don't wanna wait until he may or may not get impeached. I want him gone right now.'
Lu said he was aware of the stunt's association with the KKK, but insisted he was not a member of the racist group.
Cross burnings in the US have historically been seen as symbols of hate and intimidation against black people and have often been connected to the KKK.
'My protest has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with gender,' the University of Illinois Chicago senior told the outlet.
'I did know about this historical relevance beforehand, but I didn't know the severity, how racially motivated it may seem from what I did.'
The Illinois native also admitted he should have gone about the protest differently.
Lu said he was protesting the 'ruling class' and Christian nationalists who support Trump.
'I put a red hat to signify the MAGA hat, the Make America Great Again hat,' he told the outlet.
After the incident, the Chicago Police Department released photos of a suspect wanted in connection
Police have confirmed that a person is in custody, but have not confirmed it is Lu
'In no way possible was that a hate crime. I understand why it was interpreted that way, and I apologize for that, but no, the intent was not there.'
Lu claimed he chose a cross because he could assemble it himself without the help of others.
He said he carried wood slats from his Near West Side apartment to the park in the afternoon, and lighter fluid and toilet paper to set it aflame.
After completing the stunt, he was caught on surveillance running shirtless through the streets of Chicago, which were later released by police, warning the neighborhood to be on alert for a suspicious person.
The Daily Mail reached out to the Chicago Police Department for comment.
