Cross Burned Outside Lancaster Residence

A black couple, who have a daughter and son-in-law serving with the Army in the Persian Gulf, awoke Tuesday morning to find a burned cross on the front lawn of their Lancaster residence, sheriff’s deputies said.

“Our country is at war. We don’t need this kind of foolishness,” said Frank Jamison, 43, whose family moved into the newly built and mostly white neighborhood about a month ago. Jamison said he had no prior problems there and no idea of a motive.

Jamison said he and other family members found the fallen and charred remains of the 5-foot-tall wooden cross when they left the house early Tuesday, but heard nothing during the night.

Sheriff’s deputies took the pieces of burned wood as part of their investigation, he said.

Jamison said his daughter, Shatone Bunkley, an Army sergeant, and son-in-law, Jerome Bunkley, an Army private, left Germany for new posts in Saudi Arabia about two weeks ago.