Estero, FL – An investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office is underway after shoppers reported an antisemitic and racist flyer in two popular Southwest Florida spots.
LCSO said people are reporting receiving the flyers at Miromar Outlets and at Coconut Point.
Nazi swastikas were printed all across the page. Also, hate speech against African-Americans and other groups was splattered around the flyer.
Ben Hershenson says he found the flyer when he got back home from eating at a Coconut Point Mall restaurant. He said he noticed the paper while he was driving.
Hershenson said, “I’ve lived here most 18 years. And this disgusts me into my core. It brought back memories. I don’t want to call up, you know, back when we’re talking quite a few years ago.”
Keyshawn found the flyer after leaving work. He said, “when I was leaving for my shift, I saw a flyer went over to a food place to get something to eat. And then I took a look at the flyer and I saw all this racist stuff just on this flyer, Nazi symbols, a lot of horrible imagery depicting people of color Jewish people, and just all sorts of nastiness.”
This is the latest in a string of antisemitic sentiments expressed in Lee County. Back on January 31, two teens were arrested after vandalizing a Rabbi’s home. Also, last November when antisemitic symbols were spray-painted along a road in Lehigh Acres.
Hershenson says it’s important to speak out, after this latest incident. “I just hope that people speak out when they see something like this. And people a lot of people are not going to speak out. They’re going to say I’m not going to get involved. You have to get involved when you see hate when you see it reduced to writing like this.”
WINK News did reach out to both Miromar Outlets and the Coconut Point Mall for a comment. While Coconut Point Mall has not responded, Miromar Outlets responded with “No comment”.