Greater than a dozen headstones — some relationship again to the 1600s — had been smashed inside a historic Brooklyn cemetery early Tuesday morning, a church official stated.
Tombstones had been snapped in half, whereas one grave marker was obliterated on the sidewalk in an incident that took 20 minutes to destroy greater than 300 years of historical past.
And what occurred means extra than simply broken property for the congregation of the historic Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church.
“It’s history. It’s great history because…It tells stories, so just to come in and vandalize and destroy tombs. It’s just really a shame that someone would do this,” stated Minister De Lafayette Awkward.
No less than 17 headstones had been destroyed in all. A number of the names on the markers have light away, so the church should go into their vault to find out who’s buried underneath the vandalized plots.
“We are very hurt by it because these tombstones have been here a long time and those family members who are still alive, descendants, it’s gonna be heartbreaking,” the minister stated.
Surveillance video obtained by NBC New York reveals an individual enter the cemetery round 2 a.m. Tuesday, and go on a rampage. That particular person will be seen kicking at tombstones, lifting one up and carrying it away to smash it on the walkway, video reveals. The person additionally was seen attempting to elevate the quilt off of a tomb.
“I know for me if my family was here I would be very very hurt by what I’m seeing,” Minister De Lafayette Awkward stated.
Whereas heartbroken, the minister doesn’t have a message of fireplace and brimstone for the one who vandalized this oasis of peace right here in Brooklyn — however moderately a message of forgiveness.
“We forgive them, we are still gonna move forward. We are a church of forgiveness. We are a church of Jesus Christ so we forgive,” he stated. “We are hurt by it but we forgive them and we want to continue to do ministry.”
Police are investigating and looking for the suspect, because the church stays hopeful that these items of historical past will be restored. Detectives stated that there isn’t any trace as to a motive but, simply utter destruction of a New York Metropolis landmark.