ORANGE COUNTY, NC — Hillsborough police are investigating an incident that occurred overnight at the Orange County Republican Party headquarters.

The building, located at 347 Ja-Max Drive in the Shops at Daniel Boone, was struck overnight with hate graffiti and with a flammable material thrown through a front window of the headquarters. The graffiti — which included a swastika and the words “Nazi Republicans leave town or else” — was spray-painted in black on the side of an adjacent building, Balloons Above Orange, 353 Ja-Max Drive. The damage was discovered this morning by another business owner, who reported it before 9 a.m.

The flammable substance appears to have ignited inside the building, burned some furniture and damaged the building’s interior before going out. The substance was housed in a bottle thrown through one of the building’s front windows. No damage estimates are available yet, and Hillsborough police are continuing to investigate the incident with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“This highly disturbing act goes far beyond vandalizing property; it willfully threatens our community’s safety via fire, and its hateful message undermines decency, respect and integrity in civic participation,” Hillsborough Mayor Tom Stevens said. “I believe I speak for the overwhelming majority of people who make Hillsborough their home: Acts like this have no place in our community. Our law enforcement officials are responding quickly and thoroughly to investigate this reprehensible act and prosecute the perpetrators.”

Last night the Orange County Republican Party in NC was viciously fire bombed. #ncpol pic.twitter.com/TayJcdMMX1 — NCGOP (@NCGOP) October 16, 2016

Spray painted on the side of the OCGOP when it was fire bombed “Nazi Republicans leave town or else” pic.twitter.com/gvduwIpjMw — NCGOP (@NCGOP) October 16, 2016

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