DC suspect tries setting Union Station’s Freedom Bell on fire, police investigating

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A suspect in Washington, D.C. tried to set the Freedom Bell outside of Union Station on fire, authorities said.

D.C. officials confirmed the incident on social media Sunday night. Misinformation online led many to believe that the suspect tried to set themselves on fire, but no injuries have been reported.

“An individual attempted to set fire to the bell outside the station,” District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said on X. “There was no person on fire, contrary to a report on social media.”

“No injuries and this is a law enforcement matter.”

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The Freedom Bell in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C. Police said a person tried to set the bell on fire Sunday night. (Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

One X user was perplexed by the announcement.

“How do you set fire to a metal bell?” the social media user wrote.

The bell, popularly known as the Freedom Bell, is a sculpture designed to resemble the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. It was a gift from the American Legion, a veterans organization, a few years after the 1976 bicentennial.

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A replica of the Liberty Bell, presented by the American Legion sits outside Union Station, in Washington, D. C. A person tried to set fire to the bell on Easter Sunday, police said. (Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

The bronze bell has stood outside of Union Station since 1981, over 6 years after it was authorized by Congress. It is owned by the National Park Service.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Metropolitan Police Department for comment.

Andrea Vacchiano is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. You can follow her on X at @andrea_vacch or send story tips to andrea.vacchiano@fox.com.