Neighbors living near Cler-Mont Elementary are not happy with the school's new look. The ground reads "RIP" and "Chum." Chum is the nickname of Michael Smith, one of two teens who died in Monday night's crash in Independence.
"It’s one thing to put up balloons and flowers, it’s another thing to spray paint public property,” said neighbor Lori Smith.
"I’ve had two children pass away in car accidents and their friends never behaved this way,” said neighbor Christine Cloe.
The intersections where the boys died was also covered in paint. MoDOT cleaned the graffiti Thursday afternoon.
Independence police took to Facebook saying they are investigating the vandalism. They are also investigating a video post to Facebook of a gun being shot off in the air.
“Anthony would not approve of, especially the school vandalism,” said Celeste Dunlap, Anthony Dunlap's sister. Anthony Dunlap is the second teen who was killed. His family told 41 Action News they want the vandalism to stop.
"They shouldn’t have done, it doesn’t honor Chum, it just makes everybody angry,” said his mother, Terri Dunlap.
They are also asking frustrated neighbors to be patient.
“Even good kids change when a tragedy happens," said Celeste Dunlap. “And some of the kids might be thinking, well if all of us remember them all the time, if someone else remembers them all the time, they will always be thought of.”
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Ali Hoxie can be reached at ali.hoxie@kshb.com
