The mystery behind the recent burning of nine Baptist churches in rural Alabama was solved when three white college students from the prosperous suburbs of Birmingham confessed to the act.

The students who were arrested said that the fires were the result of a prank that spun out of control while they were out deer hunting. Two of the students were arrested on the campus of Birmingham Southern College where they attended, and the other was a student at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Police were led to the students by tire tracks at several of the burned churches, Investigation has revealed that the tracks where from the tires of a Toyota 4Runner owned by one of the suspects mother.

The burnt churches affected both white and black worshippers. Four of the nine churches had predominantly white, while the other five had black congregations. With the arrests the congregation of several other Baptist churches in the sate have been able to rest easier.