Students find messages of hate written on snow-covered cars near Pitt

PITTSBURGH — Messages of hate were found written in the snow near the University of Pittsburgh.

A viewer contacted Channel 11 about what she found Sunday morning in Oakland.

Several snow-covered cars along McKee Place and Atwood and Louisa streets had a racial slur written on them.

"It was shocking and disgusting to see," said Mara Keen. "I assume they were picking them at random, and maybe it was someone's sick idea of a joke, but it is not received as a joke. Not here. Not anywhere."

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The Squirrel Hill native said she was both angry and saddened, remembering the recent tragedy at the Tree of Life Synagogue.

"More hate. It's awful," she said.

She told Channel 11 she and another student tried to wipe away the racial slurs written in the snow on as many cars as they could find, but not before she took pictures and sent them to several university police officers.

"I told them what was happening," she said. "This is harmful and hateful words that have no place here, and nobody should have to see that."

She hasn't heard back from the university, and neither has Channel 11.

This isn't the first time someone has written hurtful symbols or words on cars in the snow.

Last year, Channel 11 contacted Pitt about a swastika written on a Zipcar parked near campus.

Keen told Channel 11 a friend's roommate also had the Nazi symbol written on her car.

Cox Media Group