A sculpture of the late Breonna Taylor has been smashed just two weeks after it was installed in Oakland, California.
The sculpture was erected as a way to remember Taylor, who was shot by police in her home in Louisville, Kentucky in March this year.
Below the sculpture of the late 26-year-old was a message that read, ‘Say Her Name Breonna Taylor’.
The destruction of the statue is believed to have taken place on December 26, with authorities now on the hunt for the culprits.
Leo Carson, the man who created the memorial created a GoFundMe page to raise money to fix the damaged sculpture.
“After spending months creating this artwork it was incredible to see the community and neighbors taking photos and enjoying it,” Carson wrote on GoFundMe. “Now I am devastated and enraged to see it in pieces. This was an act of racist aggression and we need to show them we will not stand for it.”
“Several people have reached out asking about how they can help with the repairs. The best way to prevent further damage would be to rebuild her in bronze.
As an unemployed server this isn’t something I can afford to do on my own,” Carson added. “The bronze casting process will take months to complete and the base will also have to be reconstructed to support the additional weight.”
Carson said that any funds raised that go over the cost of rebuilding the statue will be donated to Breonna Taylor’s family. At the time of this writing, more than $5,500 has been raised, exceeding his target of $5,000.