(KTTS News) — Springfield Police are investigating vandalism at a historically black church as a hate crime.
Someone spray painted a swastika on the outside of Pitts Chapel United Methodist Church on north Benton.
It happened on May 18 or 19.
The graffiti was removed by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
The church held a press conference Friday morning in Springfield.
Last week’s vandalism incident comes after the recent shooting deaths of 10 black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York by a white man.
Pitts Chapel was founded by a group of slaves in 1847.
It’s the longest continuously worshipping black church in Springfield.
“As we have seen nationwide, hateful rhetoric and actions often lead to violence targeting minority communities,” said @CairMissouri Board Chair Yasir Ali.https://t.co/z5M5374BZg@KTTSJason @kolr10kozl @AndrewSullender @MrsWrocks
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) May 27, 2022
