Authorities in Idaho revealed that the “White Power” graffiti discovered after a school protest was a hate crime hoax and was created as an “act of intimidation” in a dispute between “rival Hispanic criminal street gangs.”
The spray-painted message was discovered last Thursday at Caldwell High School days after people at the school took place in a “Brown Pride” protest, according to a report.
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Last Tuesday’s protest was reportedly held to support a student who was told to remove a “Brown Pride” sweatshirt.
Caldwell High School has a rigid dress code “compared to other school districts because Caldwell has had a gang problem before, and ‘Brown Pride’ is associated with gangs,” according to Caldwell High School Principal Anita Wilson.
When the “White Pride” graffiti was discovered days after the protest, authorities condemned it and said, “We will not tolerate hate in our city and will ensure that whoever is responsible for this will be held accountable for their actions.”
A day later, the graffiti was revealed to be a hate hoax and an “act of intimidation,” according to the report.
“At this time, detectives no longer believe the incident to be motivated by hate but rather an act of intimidation between two rival Hispanic criminal street gangs from Caldwell,” the Caldwell Police Department said in a statement posted to social media. “Detectives are basing this off of evidence, video, and other factors discovered in the course of the investigation.”
Graffiti vandalism is used as a “diversion tactic,” police said, and it “was possibly done to exploit the recent protest at Caldwell High School.”
“It is common for gang members to vandalize property in their attempt to create fear and intimidation within the community,” an update from police said.
Screenshots of the graffiti incident posted by the police revealed at least eight suspects responsible for leaving the “White Power” mark.
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“I am proud of the investigative effort given by our detectives in this matter, who quickly determined this incident to not be a hate crime,” Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram said. “Unfortunately, this incident has already affected the lives of many in our community.”
“This appeared to be an organized act of violence by cowardly members of a local criminal street gang who attempted to cause panic, fear, and intimidation,” he said. “I promise that when we catch the suspects, the public will be able to see who they are because they won’t be able to hide behind a hood or mask in a booking photograph.”
