The Georgia Guidestones, a mysterious granite monument, was demolished Wednesday evening following an explosion earlier in the morning that destroyed a portion of the statue.
The monolith panels — located 90 miles east of Atlanta — were vandalized by an explosion around 4:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to investigators, per 11 Alive. “A large portion of the structure” was destroyed when authorities arrived on the scene. Later in the afternoon, the GBI announced that crews had demolished the rest of the structure “[f]or safety reasons.”
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) also released surveillance footage of a vehicle leaving the site shortly after the explosion.
The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office, who initially responded to the scene, requested the GBI’s assistance in the investigation, 11 Alive noted.
No arrests or suspects of interest in connection with the explosion have been reported as of yet.
The monument was erected in 1980, built from local granite, by an unknown individual or group who went by the pseudonym “R.C. Christian,” the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Different reports vary as to how tall the stones stand, although Christopher Kubas, Executive Vice President of the Elberton Granite Association, said they did stand at “16 feet and 4 inches tall,” WYFF 4 reported. Kubas noted they “weighed about 42,000 pounds each.”
The Guidestones — before they were demolished — featured instructional writings that appeared to support population control, eugenics, and global governance. The stones also featured eight different languages.
Examples of writings that were on the stones include, “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature,” “Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity,” and “Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court,” according to Smithsonian.com.
While some referred to the former stones as “America’s Stonehenge,” others viewed the stones as “Satanic,” the AP noted.
The stones had been previously vandalized, including with graffiti, over the years, WYFF 4 reported.
The outlet also noted that residents as far out as five miles were startled by the explosion in the early hours of the morning. Some residents thought that they had heard “thunder.”
As footage began circulating on social media of the stones being demolished by crews, some users expressed their approval of the stone’s flattening.
Conservative social media influencer Ian Miles Cheong tweeted a video of the Guidestones being demolished, saying, “You love to see it.”
Former gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor tweeted Wednesday morning, “God is God all by Himself. He can do ANYTHING He wants to do. That includes striking down Satanic Guidestones.” Taylor, who placed third in the Republican primary, made “demolishing” the stones a part of her campaign platform.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.