'White power,' swastikas spray-painted on 19th-century black schoolhouse in Va.
ASHBURN, Va. (WJLA) - Warning: The following story contains explicit embedded images that some people may find offensive. Viewer discretion advised.
A 19th-century school for African-American children in northern Virginia was vandalized Friday with swastikas and other offensive drawings and phrases.
The building, formally known as the Ashburn Colored School, was in the process of being rehabilitated by the Loudoun School for the Gifted as a way for its students to both learn about the history of their community and give back to it. The structure was the first African-American schoolhouse in Ashburn.
Below are photos of the vandalized building. The crude drawings include swastikas, the phrase "White Power," and images of male genitalia.
The school said in a Facebook post it is "heartbroken about this senseless act," but will "work even harder to complete the dream of renovating the Ashburn Colored School."
Donations to the rehabilitation project's GoFundMe page have poured in since the vandalism occurred.
Loudoun School For the Gifted Principal Deep Sran says since news of the vandalism broke, the GoFundMe page has been receiving donations at a rate of about $1,000 an hour. Before that, the fundraising campaign had averaged about a $1,000 in donations a month.
Late Monday afternoon Loudoun County elected leaders held a press conference to condemn the graffiti and ask for help finding whoever did it.
"After all these years, in 2016, for this to happen, there is just no excuse," said Loudoun County Board of Supervisors chair Phyllis Randall. "This is an affront to decent human beings in our county."
County Sheriff Mike Chapman says investigators are hoping surveillance video from a nearby shopping center will help identify suspects.
Local police have not released information on possible suspects.
"The vandalism to the Old Ashburn School is reprehensible and will not be tolerated here in Loudoun County," said Chapman in a press release. "We will investigate all aspects of this case and will be working with our school resource officers to develop any leads."
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information on the incident to call: 703-777-1021.
