HARTFORD, Conn. _ A wooden butterfly representing one of the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was reported missing Monday from a mural at a Southington park.
Police are investigating the incident as a theft.
It is unclear when one of the 26 wooden butterflies was taken from the memorial. The intricate, hand-painted butterflies are dedicated to the victims of the 2012 Newtown shooting, which left 20 children and six adult staff members dead.
The mural was similarly vandalized in 2013. When a butterfly was removed that time, someone taped a sign to the center of the piece urging the vandal to return the stolen artwork.
It said, "These butterflies are honoring the 26 victims from Newtown. Their lives were stolen from them. Please do not steal or harm the memory of them."
