Police investigating suspicious package at Seattle synagogue after it was vandalized

A vandalized Capitol Hill synagogue will leave up anti-Semitic, holocaust-denying graffiti to show that hate cannot break their community

“Holocaust is fake history,” the graffiti reads.

A Seattle Police Department officer working off-duty spotted the spray painted message on an exterior wall of Temple De Hirsch Sinai early Friday morning.

The temple left a sign next to the graffiti, “Temple De Hirsch Sinai is aware of this graffiti. We are choosing to leave it exposed for the time being.”

Hour later into Friday afternoon, police investigated what they first called a “suspicious package” on 16th Avenue. It was later determined to be a book donation.

Suspicious package at Temple De Hirsch is actually a book donation left at the door. Important takeaway: please call ahead next time. pic.twitter.com/lLSNI0svfn

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) March 10, 2017

In a roundtable discussion on Thursday, Senator Maria Cantwell and faith leaders talked about how to combat the rising level of threats and hate speech. Cantwell said she is working on a letter with homeland security about the department being more aggressive in dealing with hate crimes.

“We need to be able to say to people we are going to bring attention and speak out against these hateful acts,” Cantwell said.

The senator’s roundtable discussion comes a week after Kent police opened a hate crime investigation into the shooting of a Sikh man.

A Sikh man was shot in a driveway Friday by a gunman who yelled, “go back to your own country,” police said.

Police release sketch of possible gunman in Sikh man shooting https://t.co/47NOqrnKGI pic.twitter.com/ATa2tcF5HD

— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) March 9, 2017

Police released a sketch on Thursday and described the suspect as a six-foot tall man with a medium build.

Deep Rai Singh is now recovering at his home. Fear, hurt and disbelief weighed on the minds of those in the community after the shooting.