Huntington officials condemn KKK Halloween ride as rider cites threats

Residents of Huntington, Indiana, faced a new social and political cost this week after images of a couple riding through town in Ku Klux Klan costumes on Saturday evening. The ride occurred during peak trick-or-treating hours in residential areas. Online reactions escalated quickly, prompting formal condemnations from the mayor, county commissioners, and a state senator by Sunday.

Huntington Mayor Richard Strick was the first local official to issue a public statement condemning the incident. The Huntington County Commissioners followed with a joint statement on Sunday. In an interview with 21Alive News, Commissioner President Rob Miller argued that the event should not be treated as a lighthearted joke. “I think it’s something that we can’t disregard as just a Halloween prank,” Miller said. He noted that the costumes reenacted a dark chapter of American history involving racism and violence.

State Senator Nick McKinley, who represents Senate District 17 covering Huntington, Grant, and Wabash counties, also released a statement addressing the community’s reaction to the event. The legislative response signaled that local officials viewed the incident as more than a private nuisance.

The female rider, who declined an on-camera interview, responded to the criticism via Facebook messages on Monday. She had previously posted to a local community group describing the outfit as a ghost theme with two ghost horses. She apologized to parents whose children took photos with the pair. When asked about the criticism, she defended the choice of attire. “I think there’s not much wrong with it being a costume on Halloween. Lots of Halloween costumes are controversial,” she said. She emphasized that neither she nor her partner were Klan members or racists.

The rider stated that the costumes were worn for approximately 30 minutes. She described the public reaction as disproportionate to the duration of the event. She told reporters that the backlash had led to specific threats against her family and her animals. “I think the news needs to say something about the doxing, threats, defamation of character, and harassment that is happening,” she wrote. She cited death threats and threats to steal horses as part of the escalation.

Roderick Parker, founder of Big Hearts Community Projects, offered a path forward for the divided community. Parker, whose daughter attended school in Huntington, said the imagery represented racism and hatred. He argued that reacting with anger alone would not resolve the underlying issues. “Having a feeling or the emotion of anger is one thing, but if you move and react and respond with anger, you know, the only thing that you find is more anger,” Parker said.

Parker proposed an open dialogue to bridge the gap between the riders and the public. He invited the woman and her boyfriend to sit at a table with him and other local leaders. “I would love for you guys to come sit down at a table with myself and a couple of the leaders in the community, so that we can have an open discussion,” Parker said. He aimed to use the meeting for education and unity.

When asked on Monday if the couple would accept the invitation, the rider expressed openness to the idea. “It would have to be something me and him discuss but a possibility,” she said. The potential meeting represents a next step in a dispute that began with a 30-minute ride through the streets of Huntington.