SPOKANE, Wash. – A threatening message spray painted on the sidewalk, as well as the defacement of the LGBTQ+ Pride Crosswalk at Spokane Falls Boulevard and Howard Street, were found Thursday.
Graffiti that reads, “Because you will learn to watch it burn!” was found at right outside the Honda dealership at the corner of Second Avenue and Adams Street.
NonStop Local alerted the Spokane Fire Department (SFD) to the message.
“We had something similar occur last year that turned into some pretty major fires. So, we take this pretty seriously. We’re going to try to dig into this and figure out who did it and why,” SFD Cpt. Lee Venning said.
Venning referenced arsonist Vickie Smith’s graffiti messages that were left across Spokane in August of 2023.
Her messages called to “Burn Spokane down.”
Smith was charged with setting eight fires in Spokane and was convicted for arson in September.
Venning and SFD investigators looked into the graffiti message Thursday morning and told NonStop Local that the message was written on the night of May 12.
They added that surveillance cameras at the dealerships, which media did not have access to, showed that it was likely a female who wrote the message.
“Our main concern is identifying the person and finding out why they did this,” Venning said.
The Spokane Police Department (SPD) told NonStop Local they have had no reports about the message.
Meanwhile, less than a mile away in downtown Spokane, there was more vandalism.
Around 1:15 a.m. Thursday, SPD reported that the Pride mural outside Riverfront Park was defaced.
The mural has been subject to vandalism multiple times in the last year.
Spokane Mayor, Lisa Brown, provided a statement condemning the defacement.
“…I unequivocally denounce such behavior and look forward to those responsible being brought to justice. To the LGBTQ+ community, please know that I stand in solidarity with you against all forms of discrimination and prejudice,” Brown said.
