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MPR Staff

Rochester police say they’ve identified four teens they say are responsible for a racist slur posted on a pedestrian bridge in the city earlier this year.

The slur, spelled out in cups in the bridge’s fencing, was spotted and immediately removed by a Minnesota state trooper from the bridge over East Circle Drive in April. Photos of the slur circulated online, though, prompting community meetings and rallies in response.

Police said Monday that the male suspects are ages 16 and 17. The case has been referred to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office for possible charges.

The location of the slur near Century High School led the school district to condemn the action. The Rochester NAACP branch also condemned the incident.