Someone painted over the memorial tribute to Army Spc. Adam Hamilton on the rock at the bottom of Hilltop Drive sometime between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.

The rock, which previously had an American flag and a military emblem painted on it, was repainted with the words, “Fear the Roo! AKORN.”

It is unknown whether students from Akron University were actually responsible for the repainting.

Marvin Logan, a freshman pre-human development family studies major, said he heard about what had happened to the rock, so he and a group of students decided to spray paint over the new graffiti.

Nathan Lehota, president of the Kent State University Veterans Club, said he went to the rock Wednesday afternoon to collect the candles, wreath and flags that were placed around the memorial, but the signboard next to the rock with Hamilton’s photo had already been removed.

“It was very disrespectful and probably hurtful to the family,” Lehota said. “Besmirching someone’s memorial is pretty F’ed up.”

Hamilton, a Kent native and graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School, was killed in action on May 28 in Afghanistan.