References to the school shooting in Newtown, swastikas and anti-Obama comments were found spray painted on South Windsor High School on Friday morning, and police have arrested a 29-year-old local man accused of committing the crime.
Jason Rivera was arrested Tuesday morning, the ay after police said he admitted to painting the messages on the wall. He was charged with desecration of property and criminal mischief in the second degree.
He has no connection to the high school, Police Chief Matthew Reed said through Twitter.
Graffiti suspect has no connection to SWHS and is not school-aged.
— Chief Reed (@pd_southwindsor) April 1, 2013
“The South Windsor Human Relations Commission condemns this blatant act of hate,” Charles Margolis, chairman of the town human relations commission, said in a statement released on Monday morning. “There is no place for this kind of behavior in our town. The acts of a few misguided individuals do not represent the attitudes or actions of the majority of our community members.”
Margolis said this does reflect poorly on our town and he is calling on residents to identify the perpetrators and “help them understand the gravity of their actions.”
“While academic learning is a basic component of education, no less important are the lessons of appreciation, empathy and responsibility,” Margolis said in a statement. “Apparently, some of our students failed when it came to respecting persons and property. The HRC has sponsored programs on various contemporary issues, such as bullying. We will continue to address the needs of the community through educational activities which promote interpersonal understanding and appreciation.”