Calgarian 'mad at ISIS' pleads guilty in spraying of racist LRT graffiti
WARNING: This story contains details that may be disturbing to some
A Calgary man spray-painted hateful, racist graffiti on a Calgary LRT station in December because he was "mad at ISIS" over the Paris attack, court heard as he pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
Kyle James McKenzie pleaded guilty to charges of mischief over $5,000 and inciting hatred.
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"I did all of the tagging as I was mad at ISIS because they shot up the people of Paris and I am French Canadian," McKenzie told police, according to a court document.
"I don't hate all Muslims but I do hate what ISIS stands for."
Miguel Lavergne is also charged in connection with the incident but only faces mischief charges.
"The tagging was all my idea," McKenzie told police. "Miguel Lavergne was with me but did not do any of the tagging."
Two men were seen on CCTV entering the Tuscany station around 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 3 and using gold spray paint to write messages throughout the station, on a C-Train car and on five private vehicles parked outside.
Lavergne and McKenzie were arrested days later.
Police classified the vandalism as a hate-motivated crime.
The spray-painted comments were disparaging to Syrian refugees and Muslims.
The often misspelled messages included swastikas and white-power symbols and some urged readers to "kill" Muslims and Syrians, making the incident a cut-and-dried hate crime in the eyes of investigators.
Total damage is estimated to be more than $20,000, according to police.
"I am glad that it made the media as I wanted to be famous for something and I wanted to come to jail for the winter," McKenzie told police.
A sentencing hearing will take place on June 15.