KKK flyers left on Norwalk lawns

NORWALK — Residents of several city neighborhoods awoke recently to find Ku Klux Klan recruitment literature scattered across their lawns. The flyers — stuffed into plastic bags weighed down with candy — appeared overnight. They contained white-supremacist slogans as well as phone numbers and web addresses tied to the Ku Klux Klan, an organization with a long and painful history of racist violence and intimidation in the United States. Norwalk police confirmed they received multiple calls from concerned homeowners and collected some of the flyers as evidence. While distributing printed literature on private property is not by itself a crime, officials emphasized they are closely monitoring the situation. "We are aware of complaints about the flyers and are investigating," Norwalk police Chief Scott Dahlgren said. Precious Combs, who lives on Grove Avenue, said she also reported the flyers. "I called the non-emergency number, and they basically said, 'There's not much we can do about it,'" Combs said. "They haven't acted upon anything. I just wanted to report it." Norwalk Mayor Dave Light condemned the flyers, categorizing them as "an attempt to sow division" and urging residents not to let hate groups gain a foothold. "This does not represent who we are. Our city rejects hate and intimidation," Light said. Light said that police have identified a potential suspect and information has been forwarded to the city law director to review for potential charges. Norwalk not alone Similar incidents have been reported elsewhere in Ohio in recent months. In February, residents of Bowling Green, Perrysburg, and Findlay found nearly identical flyers dropped in their neighborhoods. Police in those cities said that while the leafleting itself may be legal, they are tracking the activity closely. Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn strongly condemned the distribution. "This is unacceptable and not representative of our community," Muryn told the Findlay Courier. "I plan to give them no further attention. Hate will not be tolerated in our community." That same month in Lincoln Heights, a historically Black suburb north of Cincinnati, residents reported KKK recruitment flyers just weeks after neo-Nazis staged an armed demonstration on a highway overpass. Police cited the individual distributing the flyers for littering, while community groups organized a neighborhood safety watch, according to news reports. According to the ACLU, flyer drops have become a preferred method for hate groups to target areas for potential recruitment of new members. This method allows the group to remain in the shadows and not draw attention to individual members. "Civil rights advocates note that groups such as Patriot Front — widely recognized by the Southern Poverty Law Center as among the most active white-supremacist organizations — have increasingly relied on disseminating anonymous flyers instead of staging public rallies to spread their messaging in smaller communities," according to the ACLU. Neighborhood concerns In Norwalk, the flyers sparked difficult conversations. Parents worried about children picking them up, and many residents voiced the need for broader discussions on extremist ideologies. Precious Combs said she feared for the children in her diverse neighborhood. "We have an integrated neighborhood. We have Caucasians, Hispanics, and Blacks," she said. "I was so scared that a neighbor's child would pick one of those Ziploc baggies to obtain the piece of gum and read that letter. In 2025, there shouldn't be hate like this." Combs also described the moment she discovered the material in her driveway. "My neighbor called me over to tell me to look in my driveway. I saw a Ziploc bag with a note and a single piece of gum inside," she said. "When I opened the letter, my heart sank. I walked down the road and collected three more. I burned them, but kept one so people could see what was being spread." Other residents, who asked that their names not be published, echoed the concern. "We can't just shrug this off," said one resident who received a flyer. "The Klan might not be as visible as it once was, but its ideas remain dangerous." Many residents expressed shock that the group was still recruiting new members in the 21st century. "It was shocking to see something like that in 2025," said a Norwalk resident who asked to remain anonymous out of concern for retaliation. "You hear about these things happening in other places, but you don't expect it on your own front lawn." Some declined to engage at all. "I think this is disgusting, but who knows the people behind this," another resident said. "I'm just going to throw it away and ignore any more." Despite fear and mixed reactions, neighbors have already begun to rally. Several gathered to retrieve remaining flyers and are discussing hosting a community meeting. "The message we want to send back," said another resident, "is that hate is not welcome here." A troubling reminder The Klan's presence in Ohio stretches back to the 1920s, with large rallies once held in Sandusky and Lorain counties. While active membership has diminished over time, extremist groups still use anonymous flyer campaigns to remind communities of their lingering presence, according to the Anti-Defamation League. "It's really important to be looking at these numbers (of incidents) because it's an indication of the impact it can have on all our communities," said Kelly Fishman, education director for ADL Cleveland, in an interview with Axios. One flyer, given to the newspaper, included an email address and a phone number with a Nashville area code. Calls to the number went to a recorded message prompting callers to leave a voicemail or text.