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Walmart Gang Initiation: Shooting Texts a Mass Urban Legend Hoax
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by Tina Kells | March 19, 2009 at 02:21 pm
62243 views | 38 Recommendations | 458 comments
Reports of a text message about a gang initiation stunt requiring the random shooting of people at a Walmart are a hoax. (See the comments stream below for a growing list of people in different parts of the United States and Canada who have received this hoax text)
Please continue to add any reports of text messages received to the comments stream below. This story appears to be a bigger issue than first reported and the fear it is generating is very real. People are texting and messaging loved ones and friends, "don't go to Walmart" and the hoax is testing the limits of viral fear.
Rumors of plans for a Walmart gang initiation shooting spree in Springfield, Kentucky were reported by some local media outlets. Kentucky police immediately responded that they had received no such reports but people remained panicked.
Many people called KY3 News starting about 2:15 p.m. Thursday to say they received this text message on their cellular telephones: "do not go to wal-mart tonight. gang initiation to shoot 3 women. not sure what wal-mart and confirmed on TV."
This message is a hoax. Springfield police know nothing about it. KY3 News did not report it or start the text message.
Snopes.com, which debunks or verifies electronically-spread rumors spread, says this hoax, or a variant of it, has been around since 2005.
More reports of other planned Walmart shootings popped up in other states suggesting the urban legend may be part of a targeted rumor spreading spree. Police in Florida were also dealing with false reports of a gang initiation shooting in an Orange County Walmart store.
The messages claim that either on Wednesday night or Thursday three women and possibly two men would be murdered at a Florida Walmart parking lot as part of a gang initiation
Officials in South Florida said it’s nothing but a rumor that's been going on for years.
On Wednesday evening, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said they haven’t heard of the rumor in this area, but then again it’s nothing to worry about.
A spokesperson with Walmart said Wednesday the company is aware of the e-mail.
They told News 13 the security of its employees and customers are a top priority, and even though they believe this is just a rumor, they are taking it seriously and working with local authorities to beef up security measures.
Officials also said the age of technology could be why this rumor is spreading so quickly as people simply forward the email to their friends and family.
Photos
The Walmart shooting hoax is well known to police as an urban legend. The idea of a random shooting spree as a gang initiation first made the rounds in 2005 and continues to pop up from time to time.
Known as the Wal-Martyred hoax it usually includes a text message being sent claiming a woman, child or elderly person will be killed by gang wannabes. The latest incarnation of this urban legend had gang initiates targeting three women in a Walmart shooting spree.
WAL-MARTYRED
Claim: Gang initiates must assault or kill a woman, child or elderly person at a Wal-mart.
FALSE
E-mails circulated, warning of deadly gang initiations involving the killing of women and children who were shopping at Walmart.
But no such slayings were ever reported, Snopes reports.But like the e-mails telling of gang initiations the involve the killing of drivers who flash their headlights at oncoming cars or the dire warnings a couple of years ago how new gang members are knocking on doors and killing whoever answers, the rumor just keeps on trucking.
Over the year, it has circulated with variations and "new" details, as such e-mail hoaxes tend to do.
UPDATES:
The story of the Walmart gang initiation hoax texts continues to deepen. A growing number of reports have surfaced across the United States about various text messages of this nature being received (see comment stream below). It appears that this is a massive shooting hoax that is occurring nationwide.
A comment made to this story suggested a shooting in Chattanooga had happened but further investigation by NowPublic revealed it was also part of the hoax.
Several local law enforcement agencies are reassuring the public that reports of a shooting at a Wal-Mart is nothing but a hoax.
Sergeant Jerri Weary with Chattanooga Police says her department received several phone calls reporting a text message about a shooting at the Hamilton Place Wal-Mart as part of a gang initiation. Sgt Weary said it's nothing but a hoax that's been reported in several states but has not proved to be valid. She says the text warning was sent out Wednesday advising people to stay away from Wal-Mart because people would be shot and killed. Sgt Weary emphasized there have been no reported incidents at any of the Chattanooga area Wal-Marts.
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at 20:13 on March 19th, 2009
frazier park and bakersfield ca
at 20:14 on March 19th, 2009
I just got this text message in WA. scarreeeed me
at 20:17 on March 19th, 2009
i got this text twice today. One was from a close friend in new york, the other from a number that I didnt recognize. I am in BFE LUBBOCK, TX, if it came out here, it went everywhere!
at 20:18 on March 19th, 2009
I live in Chattanooga, TN, & I got it several times from people all over the country!
at 20:19 on March 19th, 2009
I just got it and i live by Yosemite National Park in California. amazing what will ppl come up with next lol!
at 20:19 on March 19th, 2009
I got three messages today in St louis Mo nothing has happened here but all the news channels did reports about the mass text message that got around so quickly about Wal-Mart
at 20:19 on March 19th, 2009
baton rouge,louisisana
i received the text message 29 times....
at 20:21 on March 19th, 2009
Yea, I live in a small town in Western Maryland and received the text message at about 8:15 tonight. Sadly, it is being taken seriously due to threats made by high school students in the past in the area. Sucks that technology is being used in such an immature way.
at 20:22 on March 19th, 2009
A friend of mine just received another text message saying 6 people dead at the wal-mart in my city....this is not funny.
at 20:22 on March 19th, 2009
wow we got in Anchorage, AK too! so retarded! i heard my roomates talking about it and then a friend sent me a text. i dont believe it! and i wanted to go to walmart so bad. the only nationwide gang i know of is TRG. hmm. i doubt they would do anything that stupid
at 20:23 on March 19th, 2009
I'm in Broadview, IL and got the message via text message about 15 to 20 times today and ran across it on TWITTER 3 times tonight.
at 20:24 on March 19th, 2009
I got it too and i'm in Havre de Grace, MD
at 20:24 on March 19th, 2009
This hoax would've been great on Black Friday!! That way, it won't be sooo crowded.
at 20:26 on March 19th, 2009
I do not understand why people are starting such rumors. Me and my best friend recieved the same text message today. And thats seriously disturbing I do not understand why these twisted sick druged up idiots insist on killing innocent people to be in a gang. I seriously hope the police catch those low life pieces of trash and lock them up or give them the death chair.
at 20:26 on March 19th, 2009
I just got the message that people have already been shot in Turlock, Ca. Yet for some reason no one seems to be reporting it on the news. What crap!
at 20:29 on March 19th, 2009
I live in illinois and i recive that same text message. i live right next door to a walmart and i was kind of scared to go out of my house. That is really messed up.
at 20:36 on March 19th, 2009
People would always tend to believe messages coming from friends to their personal devices. Previously this kind of authority over news was only enjoyed by the printed word or the Media. Now media should come forward to counter this.
Great story Tina.
at 20:39 on March 19th, 2009
I got this and I live in Oklahoma
at 20:39 on March 19th, 2009
I got two text messages today regarding the gang initiation threat text. I'm out in California, so I definitely don't think it's real. I chose not to go to Wal Mart today anyways just to be safe, but I think it's just some prank.
at 20:45 on March 19th, 2009
Holy cow, I got the same text message tonight a few hours ago. How did it get around so fast!
at 20:46 on March 19th, 2009
Thank you for the report. Sometimes retail competition is fierce.
Mary
at 20:48 on March 19th, 2009
I got a text in Fargo ND, were gangs is something we hardly know about!
We also got an Amber Alert text I believe a month ago too. People are abusing technology.
at 20:49 on March 19th, 2009
I got a text in Fargo ND, were gangs is something we hardly know about!
We also got an Amber Alert text I believe a month ago too. People are abusing technology.
at 20:56 on March 19th, 2009
I would like to share that who ever started this was not at all akamai as it caused great distress amongst many people. I hope who ever started this issue, will learn in the long run use your brain, and don't cause such a issue, you have hurt many businesses. I am aware you also cause wide spread stress.
NOT SMART!!!!
at 20:58 on March 19th, 2009
I got the text 2 times today!! Mine said 3 women - I'm in Dallas, TX!
at 20:59 on March 19th, 2009
Received the three times in Natchez, MS. I also received it from my sister in law who lives in Illinois. She said that text was going around up there as well.
at 21:00 on March 19th, 2009
I got the text message and I'm in Poteau Oklahoma. I got it at 1030 this morning.
at 21:03 on March 19th, 2009
YES i recieved this earlier today when i was in school
no lies, i got freaked out
i called everyone. im takin it seriously cus i live out here in pomona,ca
and its not ghetto but it can get there. so ppl if u dont wannha believe it
then dont but just be cautious. im stuck between the two.
but YOU NEVER KNOW.
so advice ** watch and dont go to walmart!! OH AND P.S.
they started saying that also at in-n-out was the same..
well take care pps! Peace.
at 21:04 on March 19th, 2009
yeaaa i got one in cali....at school everyone was talking about it.
at 21:06 on March 19th, 2009
I got this message 3 times today
I live in washington state