Seattle's Wing Luke Museum was targeted in a hate crime last week when a man smashed the outside windows of the museum with a sledgehammer. The suspect later apparently told police, "the Chinese ruined my life."
Link: Shattered windows and nerves, Seattle's Wing Luke Museum targeted in alleged hate crime
According to the police report, 76-year-old Craig Milne used a sledgehammer to break the windows of the museum along Canton Alley South on Thursday evening, as dozens of patrons were inside touring an exhibit.
After the attack, Milne apparently remained outside the building, and was heard saying he had come to the Chinatown International District to cause damage because, ahem, "the Chinese ruined my life."
You fucking fool, you ruined your own life. And the good people at this museum didn't do shit to you.
When police arrived -- almost an hour later, by the way -- he "continued making racially biased statements and expressed no remorse," according to court documents. "The Chinese have tortured and tormented me for 14 years. I don't regret anything I did here," Milne told officers.
Milne, who is white, was charged with a hate crime Monday, in addition to first-degree malicious mischief for causing more than $100,000 worth of property damage.
The museum was closed on Monday for "continued sensemaking" and assessment of the damages.
The Wing Luke Museum is an art and history museum which focuses on the culture, art and history of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Established in 1967, and located in Seattle's Chinatown-International District, the museum is the only pan-Asian Pacific American community-based museum in the United States.
I love the Wing Luke Museum. Not only am a member and supporter, but I've also had several occasions to work closely with the museum, including writing the text for their multi-year Bruce Lee exhibit in 2014-2016. I don't live in Seattle, but I try to visit Wing Luke every time I'm in town. It is a treasure, an institution and a beacon, and this act of hate is a violation of our entire community.
If you'd like to support The Wing Luke Museum, donate at the website here.