Loss and damage assessments continue today following vandalism at three Vicksburg schools.

Arson was blamed for a fire that damaged a storage shed and a utility vehicle at Warren Central High School over the weekend.

Vicksburg High School and Porters Chapel Academy had broken windows, doors and other acts of vandalism Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. In addition, money and a television were stolen from PCA.

“We’re working to determine everything that’s missing, dollar-wise,” said Doug Branning, headmaster of the private K-12 school on Porters Chapel Road. Repairs to damaged windows and doors were ongoing Wednesday afternoon.

Police believe the PCA break-in occurred around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Branning said.

No suspects or motives in the WCHS fire and VHS vandalism have been identified, Vicksburg Warren School District Resource Officer Dewayne Sims said this morning.

Warren Central Principal Rodney Smith said there is no reason to believe the arson, which damaged a shed and equipment used by the school band, has any connection to spray-painted graffiti discovered at the school Oct. 4 for which some of the school’s music students were believed responsible.

He also said it would be some time before repairs could begin and costs assessed.

“We can’t start the repair work until the investigation is further along,” Smith said. School officials, county deputies and fire investigators are continuing to try to determine what happened.

Officials are still not sure exactly when the fire was started. Smith said he believes it could have been Friday night because his car, parked at the school from just before the football game until after midnight, was also targeted by vandals, with a concrete block thrown at the driver’s side window. The window was not broken.

Broken windows, fire extinguishers discharged into hallways and overturned desks were found at VHS.

Principal Derrick Reed said police were still investigating but classes at VHS were back to normal this morning.

Branning said the damage and theft at PCA left him with a sick feeling, and that students were bouncing back from the disruption that interrupted classes for several hours Wednesday morning while police collected evidence.

“They’re pretty put out by it, just like I was,” Branning said.

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Contact Pamela Hitchins at phitchins@vicksburgpost.com