Shop owners say vandals smashed store windows over police support

A St. Louis antique shop was vandalized for the second time in as many weeks, reportedly because they are vocal about supporting local law enforcement.

What are the details?

According to KTVI-TV, Cherri Elder, the owner of the antique store, reported that her one of her store's windows was smashed on Tuesday, presumably because she previously decided to fly an American flag emblazoned with the Thin Blue Line on it to honor law enforcement.

Elder told the station that her store has been the subject of harassment since 2017 when she first flew the flag.

Just last week, Elder reported that after receiving heavy criticism over the flag, she removed it from her storefront and put it up inside the building.

A month after Elder took the flag inside, Elder discovered a handwritten sign affixed to her front window which read, "Pig supporters not welcome. Flag goes down or you go down."

Elder reported that a hammer and sickle symbol — a hallmark symbol that has stood for both the former Soviet Union and communism at large — was drawn on the sign. The acronym MLM — which reportedly stands for Marxism-Leninism-Maoism — was also scrawled near the bottom of the sign.

KTVI on Tuesday reported that Elder's window was broken, and with the rock that shattered the window was a note.

The station reported that the note read, "You Were Warned," and, like last week's incident, featured both the "MLM" acronym and the hammer and sickle symbol.

Elder said that she discovered a second note at the back of the store which echoed the first note's sentiments.

A portion of the second note also read, "Viva Sendero Luminoso." The station reported the phrase translates to "Long live the Shining Path," which is another name for the Communist Party of Peru.

According to KTVI, no arrests have been made as a result of the vandalism.