A 17-year-old white male is behind bars, suspected of vandalizing a Hindu temple in an attack on the religion.
The break in, which occurred on Tuesday at the Swaminarayan Temple in Louisville, Kentucky, included the defacing of religious art at the side as well as graffiti claiming “Jesus is the only Lord.” Another message spray painted onto a bulletin board labeled temple attendees as “foreign b*****s.”
Several doors were also broken into, and a knife was stabbed into one of the chairs at the temple.
Hate crimes have been on the rise in the United States, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most recent hate crime statistics showing a 23% increase in bias crimes based on religion, with the majority of that was a 37% increase anti-Jewish hate crimes.
Louisville Metro Police Chief Steve Conrad offered extra security to the temple to help worshippers feel safe at the temple.
“To come into the temple today and to see the words of hate, the paint on the posters, the desecration of this temple is heartbreaking,” Conrad told reporters at a press conference held on the site.
The Mayor of Louisville, Greg Fischer, also spoke out, telling reporters that Louisville is a “proudly diverse city, a welcoming city. We’re a global city. We’re a compassionate city. That’s who we are, who we choose to be, and we’ll always be that way… and anytime we see hatred or bigotry in our city, we will stand up against it.”
The 17-year-old, who’s name, has not been released, has been charged with 1st degree criminal mischief and 3rd degree burglary.
Image via screen capture from video source.