COLUMBUS, Ind. (WTHR) - The haunting images of a hateful past are popping up once again in Central Indiana. This time it's Columbus, where flyers are promoting the historically racist views of the Ku Klux Klan.
A day after police started receiving calls, Eyewitness News found a ziplock bag containing the flyer Tuesday afternoon at 22nd & Maple on the north side of Columbus. Some of the bags included a graphic image of a hooded Klansman with the message "The KKK wants you."
"It's kind of disturbing," said Chris Phillips, who found one in his front yard. "Like a last-ditch effort by a failing organization, definitely, but it's not something you want in your neighborhood with children, or just their presence in general."
Similar flyers showed up in the metro area three weeks ago. A neighborhood in Fishers collected dozens of them from the front yards of homes.
The latest flyer in Columbus contains a rambling message, defending gun rights and implying that a number of minority groups are to blame for violence in America. It even seeks donations and provides an address and phone number to find out more information.
Columbus police received two complaints about the flyers.
Lt. Matt Harris says police are investigating.
"Well it's something that we don't usually see here in Columbus," Lt. Harris said. "We have persons from all over the world that come here to live and to work. And even though it is free speech, it is definitely not in the spirit of how we do things in Columbus."
Resident Chris Harris says the message is appalling.
"I think it's always been an organization for the uneducated to look for a scapegoat. Something's wrong with their economic standing, so they want someone to blame it on," he said.
Police say the phone number in the flyer traces to a number in Auburn.
"It’s my understanding similar flyers were seen in North Carolina last month with the same Auburn, Indiana phone number on them," Lt. Harris told WTHR.
Police say it's not illegal for the group to be spreading its message this way, but neighbors say they don't want this material showing up on their front lawns. They say it's important to know this group is still out there looking to spread its message.