A message threatening Donald Trump supporterswasspottedon a Mission Hill building over the weekend, according to multiple reports.
“Kill your local Trump supporter,” the graffiti read, according to an image by the Boston Herald. Boston Police Officer Stephen McNulty said that while police did get a call about the graffiti Sunday morning, it was already painted over when he visitedthe area that same day.Mayor Marty Walsh assured in a statement that the incident is being taken seriously. “We don’t take threats against any of our residents lightly, and the Boston Police Department is investigating this threat,” Walsh said. “As we head towards Election Day, I encourage all residents to share their views in a peaceful, respectful way, and to make their voices heard through their vote.”
Boston graffiti urges violence on Trump backers https://t.co/jATbfIlvHm pic.twitter.com/jpAWUKDyzg
— Boston Herald (@bostonherald) November 6, 2016
Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans toldWBZ NewsRadio 1030that though they are taking the incident seriously, it shouldn’t make anyone afraid. “In a college area, it’s probably a college kid that somehow thinks that’s a proper thing to write at this time,” he said.
The graffiti was on the side of a building on St. AlphonsusStreet that housestheTuftsUniversity School of the Museum of Fine Arts.
“We condemn this kind of threatening language, which has no place on our buildings or campuses,” said Patrick Collins, a Tufts University spokesperson. “We will continue to work with public safety officials to investigate this matter.” Collins said that the graffiti was covered up shortly after university officials were made aware of it on Sunday.
Evans assured the public that the department will be present to keep things safe and orderly on Election Day.
“We always have officers at the polling places,” Evans told WBZ. “Obviously, we know it’s heated, and we’ll do our best to keep the peace.”
