Police in York Region are investigating after anti-Asian graffiti was discovered at Markville Mall in Markham, Ont.
York Regional Police said mall security contacted them on Saturday to report red and white graffiti on the property.
Stephen Lew, a local resident who spotted the graffiti and shared it on social media, said the paint contained derogatory terms targeting Asian-Canadians.
“Some people were very, very angry about it, but the thing is I don’t want anybody to be angry about it, I just want us to be aware about it,” he told Global News. “This is not only about Asian (people), or hating Asians, or predominantly Chinese, it’s about any other race that lives in Toronto.”
Police said a video shows seven male suspects in the area at the time of the incident, something the force is looking into.
“As soon as we were notified, we deployed our team to remove the graffiti,” a spokesperson for the mall told Global News.
“Our primary concern is for the safety and security of our customers, tenants and staff, and providing a welcoming environment for our community.”
Lew said he was shocked by what he saw.
“It almost feels like somebody just poked the knife and then you know thrust it right into your heart,” he added.