Starkville police are investigating the vandalism of a church as a hate crime, Investigations Sgt. John Michael Lay said.
The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection on North Montgomery Street was vandalized Thursday night, leaving several crosses, an organ and a Bible destroyed, according to photos the Starkville Police Department tweeted Friday.
State statute does not specifically mention “hate crime” but instead allows a doubled fine or prison term if a crime is apparently committed based on a victim’s race, religion or sexual orientation, Lay said. The vandalism appears to have targeted the Christian religion based on the objects that were destroyed and therefore is worth a hate crime investigation, he said.
“You don’t see chairs overturned or pews broken,” he said. “It’s crosses that are broken. It’s the religion itself.”
SPD has not yet identified any suspects, Lay said.
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