Sledgehammer-wielding man blames Chinese 'torturing' him for attack on Asian American museum: report

A sledgehammer-wielding man took swings at an Asian Pacific American museum in Seattle, smashing nine windows while visitors were inside in what's being described as a hate crime, the Seattle Times reported.

The attack on the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience happened Thursday afternoon. In a statement, museum spokesman Steve McLean said the museum "is concerned about its staff and community, and that’s its focus right now."

“Obviously we’re a resilient community, and you’ll see that on display in the weeks to come," he added.

Attendees inside the theater ran outside to investigate loud noises and found an older white man with a sledgehammer in his hand. The man eventually sat down, apparently tired from wielding the hammer.

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Police spokesperson Detective Valerie Carson said: “The suspect told police, ‘the Chinese have been torturing [him] for years and [he] had to do something.'"

He was arrested on suspicion of a hate crime offense and first-degree malicious mischief.