Parents claim realistic Halloween display is scaring their kids

PARMA, OH (KTRK) -- A life-like Halloween display is causing some controversy in Ohio because it's located less than a block away from an elementary school.

"I felt scared 'cause I thought they were real people," a 9-year-old student told WOIO-TV after the display went up.

"(I'm) almost horrified that somebody would think that it's okay to put it that close to an elementary school," the girl's mother, Jackie Anselmo, said.

The display shows bodies that appear to be graphically murdered in the front yard of the home. Anselmo and other parents say it's not appropriate to have that kind of display just feet away from a school.

But the city says there's nothing it can do about the display because it represents freedom of expression.

The homeowners say the display is just meant to be for fun, and they claim they've not had a single complaint.

"We don't want to scare kids. We just want to do the Halloween fun of it but definitely no ill intent, no," homeowner Vicki Barrett told WOIO-TV, explaining that she has young kids of her own who are fine with the display.

She did say she would be willing to "tone it down" if she learns it's scaring too many school children.