A memorial sign that was set up for the African-American teenager Emmet Till was riddled with bullet holes. A fund-raising movement was able to raise the needed $15,000 goal in order to change the memorial.
The memorial was set up in the area where the 14-year-old boy's body was found disfigured. The area, located in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, is around two hours north of Jackson. Till was killed in 1955, People reported. He allegedly blew the whistle on Carolyn Bryant, a white woman. He was from Chicago, Illinois.
The 14-year-old was reportedly kidnapped, beaten and his body was mutilated before he was fatally shot by the husband of Bryant. The half-brother of Bryant's husband allegedly took part of the crime. They also allegedly sunk the body of the boy in the Tallahatchie River.
Later, the suspects were acquitted of kidnapping and murdering Till. However, the public admitted that they committed the crime.
The bullet holes were discovered when a visitor saw it on Oct. 15. Accordingly, the sign has more than 40 bullet hole in it. It remained unknown who is responsible for vandalizing the memorial but police officials in the area opened an investigation into the matter.
This is not the first time that the memorial was vandalized since 2008. There have been no arrests regarding the incidents. In 2013, the sign had another 20 plus bullet holes. Now, it bears around 50 bullet holes.
The memorial will be replaced soon as the Emmett Till Interpretive Center announced that they have raised $15,200 via a fund-raising. The money was raised less than a week after the photo of the bullet-riddled memorial went viral, New York Daily News reported.
The photo was uploaded by filmmaker Kevin Wilson Jr. with the caption, "clear evidence we still have a long way to go." The marker is one of the eight memorializing the Chicago teen.
