#NAACPbombing goes viral as frustration grows

Jessica Guynn | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption FBI: NAACP explosion could be domestic terror act FBI agents investigating an explosion at a Colorado NAACP office now say the incident might be an act of domestic terrorism. No one was hurt in the Tuesday morning explosion.

The hashtag #NAACPbombing has gone viral, reflecting frustration among one of Twitter's most vocal communities about what they say is a glaring disparity in how news outlets cover violence against blacks.

By Tuesday night, #NAACPbombing was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter. The hashtag continued to trend on Wednesday, with nearly 120,000 mentions.

Authorities are investigating whether the detonation of an improvised explosive device outside of a Colorado Springs building that houses the local chapter of the NAACP on Tuesday was an act of domestic terrorism.

The device was placed next to a gasoline can and detonated, but the gas didn't ignite. As a result, there were no injuries and minimal damage.

The FBI is searching for a suspect described as a balding white man in his 40s who may have been driving a newer model, dirty white pickup with a dark bed liner.

But many people complain they only learned about the bombing on social media.

Pipe bomb explodes at NAACP's Colorado headquarters An IED detonated outside of the NAACP headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The FBI is investigating the incident and said the pipe bomb did not fully denotate because a gas can did not ignite.

While many mainstream media outlets including USA TODAY have covered the bombing, the coverage has been overshadowed by the terrorism attack at a Paris newspaper and other world events.

Twitter has played a key role in making sure that #Ferguson and #BlackLivesMatter broke into the mainstream and led to international debate over police violence and race in America.

The NAACP bombing comes against the backdrop of rising racial tensions in the U.S. It struck fear in the local community and among citizens across the country concerned about racial justice and decades of violence against NAACP members.

It also came right after the NAACP Legal Defense Fund asked a St. Louis County judge to convene a second grand jury and appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the killing by a white police officer of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo.