Walmart gang initiation shooting rumors sweep US, Walmart ups security
The Walmart gang initiation hoax we reported on earlier this week has taken America by storm, with police in numerous states investigating, and Walmart stepping up security.
Initially we reported that the rumor had swept Georgia and Florida. We can now confirm that police in Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Arkansas, New Mexico and Texas have also been involved in investigating the hoax. Search traffic to The Inquisitr indicates that the rumor has also done the rounds in Ohio and New York state.
One notable thing about the rumors is that they are often being customized by location, so that in at least some cases, local towns and cities are named as the location of the hoax Walmart shooting to come.
Walmart officials in Arkansas told local media that they are stepping up security as a precaution.
The hoax dates to 2005, although the current outbreak is the biggest in the history of the hoax. What’s remarkable is that a slew of mainstream media sites are incapable of using Google to confirm that fact, instead asking local police to disprove it.
Tags : urban legends, walmart, walmart shooting, walmart shooting gang, walmart shooting gang initiation, walmart shooting today
Posted: March 19, 2009
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Mar 20, 2009
is this real or fake i know this says its a hoax which means it's fake but people are still saying that it's real so i dont know….
Mar 20, 2009
you are never safe, so what does it matter?
Mar 20, 2009
Add Lenoir City,TN to the list of the so called HOAX…. I hope thats all it is.
Mar 20, 2009
add Garrett County Maryland and Kingwood West Virigina to the list. Its crazy this started in 2005 and hits here in 2009! My sister works at Wal-Mart and had me check about it today.
Mar 21, 2009
this stuff is really stupid. kids across the nation is very scared that somebody in there family would be shot and that is a terrible feelings. BUT I HAVE FAITH IN THE LORD AND IN A FEW DAYS THIS PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED!!!!!!!!!! also i think that if it is fake or not the police really need to step up and at least try but they are not trying to do that.
Mar 21, 2009
Add NC to the list, too
Mar 21, 2009
This message has hit Iowa as well. With all the random shooting sprees going on anymore, who's to say it won't happen. It may not be gang related, but I don't feel any less safe at wal mart
Mar 21, 2009
At CT to that list.
Mar 22, 2009
if something is going to be done then it's just that….. It's not news until it happens… so…let's just wait and see…
Mar 24, 2009
Like crying WOLF, if the threat is made so many times, no one will be alarmed by it. I think that is what they are doing. When and if it does happen, there will be no warning. People is gangs most often make good on their threats, they will strick like a theif in the middle of the night, with on one expecting it. I pray this is not the case and it is ONLY a threat.