School Swastika Vandals Video Images Released By Denver Police

DENVER, CO – Denver police released surveillance camera images of six men they believe are connected with an act of anti-Semitic vandalism at a Denver public school. Police and Metro Denver Crime Stoppers are offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the men in the images.

Police said on April 8 at around 8:45 p.m., cameras caught a group of males with "light to medium skin complexion" who arrived on the playground of Ellis Elementary in the 1600 block S. Dahlia Street in a dark-colored Jeep Liberty, possibly from 2002-2007.

One man carried a gas canister to the playground police said. The men poured some kind of accelerant into the shape of a swastika on the basketball court and ignited it.

The incident was reported around 8:15 a.m. the next morning. District and school administrators were quick to condemn the vandalism.

"Hate will never be welcome in Denver Public Schools," Superintendent Susana Cordova wrote in a letter April 9 to families and district employees. She added that she wanted "to take this opportunity to encourage all of us to stand united against hate. I want to encourage all of us to raise our voices in opposition to this action and all types of hate speech."

Ellis Elementary Principal Nichole Whiteman said in a separate letter that she had notified the staff at the school about the incident but would not be making an announcement to students.

"We do not believe any student saw the hateful image," she wrote in the letter. "However, they may have seen police officers present at our school today."

Hate crime investigators are working with Denver Fire, the police department said.

Whiteman said the Ellis school psychologist, as well as psychologists and social workers on the district's "crisis team," would be available to help students address their feelings and concerns.

Reporting from Chalkbeat Colorado was included in this article

Related: Anti-Semitic Vandalism Investigated At Denver School