East Nashville business repeatedly vandalized

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A family-owned business in East Nashville has been repeatedly vandalized, including a racial slur spray-painted on the building.

1st and 2nd Chance Furniture is located on Dickerson Pike. It shares the building with another business owned by the same family, Holt’s Chicken.

The owner’s granddaughter said the vandalism started a week ago when someone threw a rock through the window. A day later, Metro police said the N-word was spray-painted on the wall.

Then on Tuesday, a the building was damaged in a fire that destroyed both sides of the business.

The man who owns the actual building, Nashville attorney Bryan Lewis, believes this could be a hate crime.

“If this turns out to be a deliberately set fire and arson, and is also racially motivated, I am willing to put up a 10,000 dollar reward,” explained Lewis.

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Metro police and Nashville Fire are leading this investigation but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was at the business Wednesday to help with resources.

Right now, the fire department is looking into what caused the fire, while police investigate the vandalism.

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