Crime & Courts

‘Get out,’ alongside a swastika, was one of the messages left on a vandalized SC mosque

A swastika, like the one pictured above, was spray painted on Mosque in Columbia, S.C. The offensive image along with other messages and symbols were reported to the Sheriff’s Department on November 22, 2024.
A swastika, like the one pictured above, was spray painted on Mosque in Columbia, S.C. The offensive image along with other messages and symbols were reported to the Sheriff’s Department on November 22, 2024. Dusty Klass
COLUMBIA, S.C.

Richland County sheriff’s deputies are investigating an incident where a mosque was vandalized with white supremacist propaganda.

At around 10 a.m. on Friday, deputies were alerted that the Muhammad Mosque on Farrow Road had been vandalized with spray paint, featuring symbols and messages that included “get out,” and a swastika, according to a news release.

As deputies continue to investigate the incident, they will increase patrols around religious sites in Richland County, the release said. They’ve also notified all other mosques and synagogues in the surrounding area of the Muhammad vandalism.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office at (803) 576-3000 or can anonymously submit a tip through CrimeStoppers.

This story was originally published November 22, 2024 at 4:47 PM.

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Javon L. Harris
The State
Javon L. Harris is a crime and courts reporter for The State. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. Before coming to South Carolina, Javon covered breaking news, local government and social justice for The Gainesville Sun in Florida. Support my work with a digital subscription
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