Athletic Club/Sports Facility, Other Business Americus, GA – Arson fire at Boys & Girls Club controlled by sprinkler system July 27, 2016 viking210 Police are still looking for the person or group responsible for lighting a fire inside that gym. The club says the damage caused by the fire and sprinkler system will take months to repair. They call the crime “disturbing and disappointing.” The damage was discovered last week. However, they still aren’t sure exactly when it happened. They’re reviewing video, to hopefully help catch who did it. Dozens of fans are blowing inside the gym at the Americus Boy’s and Girl’s Club to dry out the floor. There are no kids playing here because vandals took chairs and benches and lit them on fire. The floor melted. The basketball net burned, and a nearby drink cooler was destroyed as well. “Kids look forward to coming in the gym every day to play basketball so I just don’t know who would do something like this,” said basketball coach Quentin Moore. The sprinklers saved the building. Unfortunately, they also ruined the floor. The gym was a staple for the community. “So I just don’t see any reason why they would come up and try to destroy what they like during the evening time,” said Director of Operations Jimmy Green. Fortunately, insurance will cover most of the cost. It’s not just this floor that needs to be repaired though. “Really the whole gym got to be repaired and it’ll probably be months before we get back in here,” said Moore. The club turned away kids trying to play Monday. They’re reviewing cameras to see if they can catch the culprits. Due to the weight of the bench and how hard the doors are to open, Green and Moore think it was someone older. “I hope they catch him and prosecute him to the fullest because it’s just ridiculous,” said Moore. “We going to find out who did this. And that’s when we’re going to prosecute them,” said Green. It’s a prosecution that would mean a lot to this club and to these two men. The club is looking for a new place to play basketball. The director of that club told us she was baffled by this crime. If you saw anything in the area last week that looked suspicious, you’re asked to call the Americus police.
