A disturbing midnight scene in a quiet Rhode Island town has triggered an official police investigation.
According to reporting from WJAR, video footage captured an individual dressed in full Ku Klux Klan robes sauntering through the center of West Warwick around 2:00 a.m. on Monday.
The hooded figure was filmed slowly walking alone down Main Street near the town gazebo. Ryan Fitzgerald, who recorded the encounter while driving through town with his brother, told WJAR that the distinct pointed hood and eyeholes left no doubt about the nature of the costume. Fitzgerald noted that the individual looked directly at them, prompting the brothers to immediately flee the area out of fear that the person might be armed.
The sighting has deeply unsettled the community located about 13 miles south of Providence.
Leslie Letourneau, the owner of Candy’s Curiosities & Vintage, also captured the costumed figure on her business’s surveillance cameras. Letourneau told WJAR that watching the footage made her stomach churn and felt like a personal violation given the location in front of her store.
Town officials have confirmed that the West Warwick Police Department is actively investigating the incident.
While police are looking into the disturbing video, they have not yet provided additional details regarding a suspect or potential charges.