Manchester residents woke up this week to find homes and cars defaced with racist, homophobic and antisemitic graffiti scrawled across three separate neighborhoods, in an overnight vandalism spree that left police scrambling to identify who was responsible. At least 15 separate incidents were reported along Candia Road, Gabrielle Street and South Beech Street, according to Manchester police.
The vandalism was discovered after it was sprayed overnight, as reported by NBC Boston. WMUR reported that multiple neighborhoods woke up to find homes and cars spray-painted with racist, homophobic and antisemitic messages, with the graffiti turning up specifically on Candia Road, Gabrielle Street and South Beech Street. Police counted 15 incidents of vandalism spread across the three neighborhoods.
Despite the scale of the overnight spree, investigators say there is no sign the attacks were aimed at particular people or homes. The acts appear to be random, with no indication that specific individuals or properties were intentionally targeted, police said, according to the same WMUR report. Manchester Police Chief Peter Marr said vandalism involving antisemitic, racist and homophobic slurs is unacceptable and has no place in Manchester.
Chief Calls Vandalism "Harmful and Divisive"
Marr did not mince words in describing the impact of the graffiti on residents. He said the conduct is harmful, divisive and deeply disrespectful to targeted individuals and communities, and added that everyone deserves to feel safe and respected, noting that police take such incidents seriously. Manchester police say they are actively investigating the matter and plan to work to hold those responsible accountable.
One neighborhood resident, Pierce Gillman, may have captured a clue. He recorded video of people running down the street just after 2:30 a.m., according to the WMUR report. Police have asked anyone who witnessed suspicious activity or who has surveillance footage from the affected areas to contact the Manchester Police Department at 603-668-8711.
A Pattern Seen Elsewhere
Manchester is not the only New England community grappling with a cluster of bias-motivated vandalism this fall. In Wethersfield, Connecticut, two teenagers were arrested in connection with multiple incidents of vandalism that reportedly involved antisemitic symbols, racial slurs, homophobic language and sexually explicit graffiti, according to the Hartford Courant. Investigators there ultimately identified eight vandalized locations in Wethersfield and four similar incidents reported in nearby Rocky Hill during the same period.
Cracking that case took a combination of old-fashioned legwork and digital tracing. The Courant reported that the Wethersfield Police Department's Detective Bureau reviewed surveillance footage, interviewed witnesses, analyzed cellphone location data and collected physical evidence during what the paper described as an extensive investigation. The two Connecticut suspects were each charged with seven counts of third-degree intimidation based on bigotry or bias, seven counts of second-degree criminal mischief, three counts of desecration of property and one count of first-degree criminal mischief.
No such arrests have been announced in Manchester, and the investigation there remains ongoing. For now, police are relying on the public's eyes and cameras to help piece together who sprayed the hateful messages across Candia Road, Gabrielle Street and South Beech Street, and why.
