2 males stole, burned Pride flag at Hamilton elementary school, police say

Hamilton police are looking for two males who they say broke into an elementary school located in the area of Mud Street West and First Road West in Stoney Creek on June 29. 

While on the school compound the suspects stole and set fire to a Pride flag, police said in a news release on Wednesday.

They said they were investigating the incident as a break and enter and hate crime. 

According to police, the suspects also attempted to gain entry into sea containers at a construction site close to the school.

Police say they are attempting to identify the occupants of a black Nissan Rogue.

One suspect is described as a white male with thin build, wearing a red hooded sweater, black track pants and black shoes. The second suspect has a thin build and was wearing a grey hooded sweater, grey track pants and black shoes, police said.

Anyone with information on the identity of the suspects or any other information that they believe could assist police with the investigation into this crime is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

The investigation comes after other incidents reported in recent weeks where Pride flags were stolen from private homes and several local Catholic schools. 

Hamilton police reported that the LGBT+ community was one of the groups to be the most frequently victimized by hate crimes in 2022, along with the Black and Jewish communities.