A tree dedicated to the memory of Michael Brown has been destroyed by vandals just hours after being planted . The sapling was planted in January-Wabash Park in Ferguson , Missouri on Saturday as a dedication to the teenager , who was gunned down in the street by a police officer last August . It was called ' a symbol of peace , comfort and hope for all who gather around its branches ' at a small ceremony led by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association , which donated the tree . But by Sunday morning , the branches had been stripped , leaving behind just a shard of the trunk . Scroll down for video . Before : The Black Caucus of the American Library Association donated the tree and memorial plaque and it was planted in January-Wabash Park in Ferguson , Missouri on Saturday ( pictured ) Destroyed : But by Sunday morning , the tree had been ripped down , leaving just a shard of the trunk . The metal dedication plaque at the base of the tree had also been removed . It had read : 'In Memory of Michael Brown Jr Dedicated Tree 04/15 . ' ' I ca n't understand why someone would want to cut down the tree , ' one man in the park told KMOV . 'What , they want to start something back up again ? ' 'It 's real sad day when a tree is dedicated and the next day someone comes along and destroys it just for the heck of it , ' Gerald Brooks of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association added to Fox2 . A second tree that was close to the Brown memorial and had been dedicated by a Ferguson resident to their dead pet was also vandalized . The plaque on that tree was also stolen . On Monday , both of the saplings were replanted and the memorial plaques will be replaced later this week , KSDK reported . New : By Monday , the tree - and another tree that was destroyed nearby - had been replaced at the site . Taken : The memorial plaque , pictured , was also removed but should be replaced later this week . The Ferguson Police Department is investigating the incident as an act of vandalism but they do not have any suspects . 'Officers canvassed the area talking to anyone who might have seen or heard anything related to the incident , ' the city said in a statement . 'No witnesses were located , and at this time police have no leads . An investigation into the incident is ongoing , and the City of Ferguson is replacing the trees today [ Monday ] . ' The incident is the third time that a Brown memorial has been destroyed . In September , a memorial that included stuffed toys , images and notes close to where Brown died was destroyed by a fire . Killed : Michael Brown , 18 , was shot dead by police officer Darren Wilson , right , in the street last August . And in December , a car hit and destroyed a memorial . There was speculation that the driver purposefully hit the memorial , but the police department said it was not being considered a crime . It was later rebuilt . Brown , 18 , was shot dead by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson as he responded to reports of a theft on August 9 , sparking massive protests against police brutality across the country . More demonstrations erupted in December , when a St Louis County grand jury ruled that Wilson would not be indicted in the killing . In March , the U.S. Department of Justice cleared him of civil rights violations .
Sapling was planted in January-Wabash Park in Missouri , Ferguson on Saturday but by Sunday , its trunk had been snapped in half . By Monday , it had been replanted and the Missouri Police Department is investigating the incident as an act of vandalism . This is the third time a Brown memorial has been destroyed ; in September , a memorial went up in flames and in December , one was hit by a car .