Some people really do seem hateful to their core. They carry so much anger that they no longer stop to consider how disturbing or harmful their behavior might appear to others. Instead, they move through the world saying and doing alarming things as if none of it matters. A recent incident in Columbus, Ohio shows how that kind of hostility can manifest in deeply unsettling ways, especially when it targets places meant to be safe, like a daycare.
In Columbus, a group of men made a series of troubling visits to Somali-owned daycare centers, leaving staff frightened and shaken. Footage of one of these encounters was later shared on Reddit by user AccomplishedBoot2189, who said the video was provided by a local daycare owner. According to the user, the interaction was disturbing enough that employees were left anxious long after the men had left the building.
The man seen in the video is John Rocker, a former professional baseball player. He had been visiting multiple Somali-owned daycare facilities across the Columbus area and asking questions that staff described as inappropriate and threatening. In the clip, Rocker can be heard asking, “Do you think this door is bulletproof.” The question alone was enough to send a chill through those present, especially given the setting and the people involved.
The Redditor emphasized that Rocker has no affiliation with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth or the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. These are the only state agencies authorized to inspect childcare facilities or investigate allegations of fraud. They also noted that Rocker is not even a resident of Ohio, making his repeated visits to Columbus daycare centers feel even more intrusive and suspicious.
These encounters are happening against the backdrop of ongoing public claims and media narratives about alleged “fraud investigations” involving Somali-owned daycare centers nationwide. In Columbus, the pattern appears targeted. According to community members, most, if not all, of the daycare centers approached were Somali-owned and operated primarily by women.
Advocates have raised serious concerns about the nature of these interactions. Approaching a daycare, where young children are present, and asking whether doors are bulletproof is widely viewed as abnormal and intimidating. Police were contacted following the incident in Columbus, who said there was limited action they could take because no direct threat was made during the recorded exchange.
Reddit users who saw the video expressed outrage and horror over what happened in Columbus. Many condemned the group of men and compared their behavior to terrorism. “People have lost their ever loving mind,” one user wrote. Another added, “FR, if a group of Black men went around trying to get into daycares and talking about ‘is your door bulletproof’?, does this society honestly want me to believe the cops would be like: ‘nothing we can do here’….. No, they’d figure out what they could do to protect the children…”
