Wal-Mart Text Hoax Goes Nationwide
By: Austin Kellerman
Updated: March 20, 2009
From Abilene to Palm Beach, Salt Lake City to Boise, Richmond to Washington State, a text message warning of gang violence at area Wal-Marts is all over the country. Police are taking the unprecedented steps to speak out about this hoax and assure residents this isn't the real deal. “These rumors, which have become widespread, are false,” said a spokesperson with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department after dozens of panicky calls from would-be shoppers were received at the department's communications center.
The Wal-Mart-gang killing rumor, apparently fed by the Internet, has surfaced in numerous communities across the country in recent days. In all cases, local police agencies found “no intelligence to corroborate” the rumor.
There's still the question as to where these text messages originated from. Some law enforcement say they came from Florida, others think they're from Tennessee.
