PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Police are investigating after several people in an SUV with Ohio plates threw baggies containing antisemitic and hateful messages into the front yards of families.
This happened throughout Squirrel Hill, including on Phillips Avenue between Murray and Beechwood, and some witnesses say the people in the car were yelling slurs.
Benjamin Schwartz has lived in Squirrel Hill his entire life.
“This whole thing is very disheartening,” Schwartz tells Channel 11. “It’s a scary time to be here.”
Schwartz says the hate speech has ramped up since October 7, 2023, a trend the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says they’re sadly seeing too.
“I remember going to the Holocaust museum with my parents at maybe 10 or 11 years old because every Jewish boy or girl needs to see that,” Schwartz said. “And looking and just not understanding how such an idea Hitler gave to the people could take off, but now I get it.”
Schwartz’s family had one of the baggies with antisemitic messages, weighed down by kernels of corn tossed in their front yard. The Jewish Federations says police have collected over 100 just in Squirrel Hill, not to mention those found in Shadyside and Peters Township, Washington County.
Witnesses say a Dodge Durango with Ohio license plates and three to four people inside tossed the baggies out of the car window while yelling slurs.
“There is no excuse for that kind of behavior,” neighbor Michelle Bjornstad said. “We live in 2025. That stuff shouldn’t be happening anymore.”
The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh says they know the national group behind this, which is known for flyers with a shock factor. They don’t believe the people are from Pittsburgh. The Jewish Federation added that this group usually operates under the cover of darkness. which makes this all the more frightening.
“With this particular group, they were so blatant, they did this in broad daylight, between 6-8 p.m.,” Shawn Brokos with the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh said. “People were out, it was a beautiful night. It’s disturbing to see them escalating and being so vocal about it.”
Brokos, the director of community security for the Jewish Federation, says they want to send the message that anyone who comes into our communities to threaten, harass or spread hate won’t get away with it. Brokos says that’s because of automatic license plate readers in Squirrel Hill, paid for by a security grant and used specifically to catch bad actors.
“We will be able to find you,” Brokos said. “We will be able to catch you.”
Neighbors in Squirrel Hill say they’ll continue to stand together and will not allow these messages to break their community.
“Act with kindness on every level,” Schwartz added. “I know it’s most of us, but let’s be louder than them.”
Pittsburgh Police say at least one of the suspects is a man with red hair. The Jewish Federation is asking anyone who got one of these baggies to report it to police, especially if they witnessed the suspects yelling or threatening them, because it could rise to the level of ethnic intimidation.
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