Vandals caused $1.25M in damage at Hilton Head Middle School. What do cops know 50 days later?
In the nearly 50 days since vandals caused $1.25 million in damage at Hilton Head Island Middle School, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office hasn’t publicly identified suspects or released photos of the crime scene.
The incident happened between when construction crews left the school July 18 and when the principal reported the incident the morning of July 20. BCSO spokesperson Angela Viens said the incident is still under investigation and pictures won’t be released until the case is closed or adjudicated in court in “an effort to preserve the integrity of the case.”
More than 75 classrooms, locker rooms, bathrooms, the gym, the cafeteria, the auditorium and hallways were damaged by multiple fire extinguisher discharges, spray paint, shampoo, conditioner, floor stripper and potentially other contaminants, according to information from the clean-up contract and BCSO.
Beaufort County Schools Chief Operations Officer Robert Oetting described the damage as a “fire without a fire,” at the school board meeting Tuesday, meaning that the clean-up crew treated the building as if it was damaged by a fire.
“Fire extinguishers were extinguished throughout the building,” he said. “The HVAC systems carried the material throughout the building and that required a massive cleanup.”
There is no video footage of the vandalism because the school was still under construction with no working cameras. The district hasn’t received an invoice for the actual cost yet, just the $1.25 million estimate from the disaster recovery team, according to district spokesperson Candace Bruder. She said the cost will be covered by insurance, the district will just pay the deductible.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 12:50 PM.
