Caught on Video: lumber wielding man sticks London Music Hall of Fame with massive repair bill

A man was caught on surveillance video repeatedly smashing a piece of lumber into the front of the London Music Hall of Fame early Friday morning.

Just after 12 a.m. on May 5, a shirtless man was seen delivering blow after blow from a 2x4, shattering the front window and destroying the security gate in front of the building on Dundas Place.

He eventually walked away westbound with the lumber slung over his shoulder.

“It was intentional and incredibly violent [using] an eight foot long 2x4,” explained Hall of Fame Founder Mario Circelli.

It’s a disappointing setback for the local arts organization just days after it inducted its Class of 2023.

Now the small volunteer organization is anticipating a $17,000 repair bill.

“We’re underfunded as it is, and for us to find the finances to make these repairs is going to be extremely difficult,” Circelli admitted.

London storefronts are caught in the crosshair of the mental health and addictions crisis.

On Oxford Street, a separate window smashing incident at La Noisette Bakery left the beloved small business picking up the pieces— again.

A smashed window at La Noisette Bakery on Oxford Street in London, Ont. as seen on May 5, 2023. (Reta Ismail/CTV News London)

“Come on guys… the other window now?!,” the bakery tweeted Friday morning on social media.

Five weeks ago another one of its distinctive circular window was smashed.

The bakery remained open despite the damage.

Downtown London’s Barbara Maly told CTV News, “We continue to work with the City to establish and coordinate grants to assist our members with the costs of preventative safety equipment such as the installation of window and door gates, security cameras and other proven deterrents to these types of criminal acts.”

City hall offers businesses Core Area Safety grants and the Downtown London BIA offers a small property damage grant to vandalized businesses.

Maly added that the recently expanded police foot patrol in the area is helping.

“We may have to go to a different level of protection, and it’s disappointing. You feel sorry you have to do that,” Circelli said about the Hall of Fame’s historic storefront.

London, Ont. police told CTV News they have identified the man in the surveillance video.