COLUMBIA, S.C. — A private cemetery in Columbia was thought to be subject to vandalism but instead was the "enthusiastic" spreading of a landscaping chemical, a funeral home now says.
Leevy's Funeral Home in Columbia said Thursday afternoon that what at first glance appeared to be spray paint was actually a landscaping chemical that was spread throughout the cemetery.
Dozens of headstones and grave markers at Lincoln Cemetery, at 4900 Farrow Road in northeast Columbia, were covered with the greenish-blue fluid. Leevy’s Funeral Home owns Lincoln Cemetery and was made aware incident on Wednesday.
Early Thursday morning, families arrived at Lincoln to try and clean up the headstones and markers.
The funeral home at first thought the damage was caused by an area gang and reported the incident to Columbia Police Department’s (CPD) Gang Task Force. Police also confirmed that the chemical was fertilizer spray and that a criminal act did not occur.
This from Leevy's Funeral Home facebook page.
" Even though there has been some vandalism and contraband found at Lincoln Cemetery, I am happy to report that the blue substance is not paint but a landscaping chemical that was just sprayed recklessly over the front part of the cemetery! We have a cleaning crew at the cemetery now and even want to thank Chief Jenkins and the Columbia Fire Department as well as the City of Columbia Police Department Gang Task force for all of their help in cleaning up the cemetery and leading the investigation!"