SFPD investigates reports of vandalism at French American School in San Francisco. https://t.co/tx2KoDnVGb pic.twitter.com/N257yhYgoe
— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) November 17, 2015
Just days after a series of coordinated attacks by ISIS shook Paris, students at San Francisco's French American International School were confronted by graffiti that seemingly supports the terrorist organization.
San Francisco Police Department has confirmed to KRON4 that officers were called to the school's 150 Oak Street location at 8:30 Tuesday morning.
When they arrived, officers say that graffiti depicting an ISIS flag "was found sprayed on a wall at the playground on Hickory Street, just north of the Oak Street campus."
However, since that initial report by KRON4, the article as it appears on the broadcast station's website has been updated to add:
It was originally reported that the graffiti was an ISIS flag, but police have since confirmed that the graffiti is a symbol used by a group called 5 Percent Nation who have links to the Nation of Islam.Police also said that the graffiti is not a threat but an act of vandalism.
SFPD Captain Greg McEachern tells KTVU that "Originally there was concern that it might be tied to ISIS, but our preliminary investigation shows that it's not that."
"It's more of a domestic group and our special investigations division are looking into the vandalism, trying to figure out who did it, what their reasons were.”
“We get graffiti from time to time, but the symbol - particularly in light of what happened last week - did awaken some concern, which is why we reported it to [police],” Robert Movradinov, a spokesman for the school, told the Ex.
Though the graffiti was visible to the public earlier this morning via an alley behind the school, it has since been blocked by a fence and covered with a tarp.
KRON4 reports that "school is still in session, but tight security is being enforced."
According to their website, the preK-12 school has 1,080 students. Of those, 23 percent are French nationals.
Meanwhile, support for the victims of the Paris attacks continues at San Francisco's French consulate, as KRON4 reports that throughout that day, there has been a steady stream of people who "take a moment and stop at the growing memorial in front of the consulate."
At 1:30 Tuesday, the SFPD sent the following statement on the vandalism incident:
The San Francisco Police Department is investigating a vandalism incident that occurred at a school on the 100 block of Oak Street. The incident is believed to have occurred overnight and the vandalism is in the form of graffiti spray painted on a wall and playground surface. The SFPD Special Investigation Division is actively investigating this incident to determine if it amounts to a hate crime. Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call the Anonymous Tip Line at (415) 575-4444 or Text A Tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.
According to ABC7, "the FBI has been called in to help investigate."
And later in the afternoon, the school sent this message to parents:
We write to bring you up to date about a concern on campus. This morning our staff noticed graffiti in the Hickory Yard, which we immediately reported to the San Francisco Police Department. SFPD school liaison officers referred it to the Special Investigation Department (SID) who investigated its origin in light of recent events in Paris. A premature local media report falsely identified the vandalism as "ISIS graffiti." Law enforcement has assured us that this is not the case and has advised us to resume normal operating procedures as quickly as possible. Students at the 150 Oak campus had been kept inside during the police investigation as a precaution and to facilitate the investigation. In matters of student safety, we always operate with an abundance of caution. We take this opportunity to thank our alert staff and vigilant security team.
Previously: In Solidarity With Paris, SF City Hall Lit Up Blue, White and Red; SFPD On 'Heightened Alert'
Alice Waters Posts About Daughter Dining 'Down the Street' From Paris Shooting
Local Couple On Paris Honeymoon Were Dining Two Blocks From Bataclan Concert Hall During Attack