Some residents in Hoover awoke Friday morning to hate-group flyers in their yards and driveways.

One man said he was walking his dogs in the Russet Woods area, near South Shades Crest Elementary School, when he spotted the literature purported to be from the United Dixie White Knights. The flyers read, "Sleep well tonight knowing that the Klan is alert and awake. A recent case in Hoover has our attention. "

The flyer alluded to the recent acquittal of Charleston Wells, one of four youths charged in the slaying Iraq veteran Mike Gilotti, a husband and father of two boys. The shooting happened at 4:55 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2016 in the 5500 block of Park Side Circle. Gilotti was leaving his home to go to his morning workout when he encountered someone either in his driveway or his car. One shot was fired, and Gilloti collapsed at his front door. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

In May, a jury acquitted the 17-year-old Wells of murder in Gilotti's death. He was, however, found guilty of nine counts of breaking and entering a vehicle. Darrian Bryant, 17, Ahmad Johnson, 18, and 20-year-old De'Ron Lucas, are also charged with murder in Gilotti's death.

"A jury has acquitted Negro Charleston Wells of murder in the 2016 shooting death of White Hoover resident Mike Gilotti, a veteran and father of two. You better wake up whitey! UDWK Realm of Alabama today,'' the flyer reads.

Hoover police spokesman Capt. Gregg Rector confirmed police received a call from one homeowner about the flyers, and said others were distributed to houses in the Russet Woods neighborhood.

"The terminology used in these flyers indicated the intent was to recruit new members to a hate group based in Leakesville, Mississippi,'' Rector said. "The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery identifies the group represented on the flyer as a hate group, affiliated with the KKK."

Similar incidents have happened for decades in the Birmingham area and beyond. Just last year, residents in Birmingham and Mountain Brook reported finding similar literature.