Cell phone text messages and emails are warning people of a rumored gang initiation that vary in detail but include murder at a Wal-Mart in the Turlock area.

 

TurlockCityNews.com has received many text messages and emails that are telling people to not go to any Wal-Mart because people are to be shot and murdered as part of a gang initiation.

 

Phone messages have been left at the Turlock Police Department for confirmation. As of this posting, no official information has been released concerning the texts and emails.

 

One text reads:

FWD: Do not go to any walmart tonight. Gang initiation to shoot 3 women tonight. Not sure which walmart. And confirmed on tv. Fwd to all girls.

 

Another text reads:

Dnt kno if true bt rumor gang initiation @ wal mart they r 2 kill men & women 2nite or tomorrow dnt know if turlk or modesto.

 

Email:

A friend of mine just sent me a text message informing me of an apparent gang initiation happening at Turlock, Ceres, and Modesto Wal-Marts.  

  

A friend was told of this taking place sometime in the next few days. She wasn’t sure whether to believe it or not so she called the Turlock Police Department. They would neither confirm or deny it but recommended she not go there for the next few days.

  

The friend who told me about this called another teacher at our school. Her husband is Modesto PD and SWAT team. She then called him. He called her back saying yes, they had just been briefed on it.

  

Apparently this is real.

  

Please let everyone you care about know of the situation. Hopefully it is a false alarm.

 

 

This posting on TurlockCityNews.com is purely an advisory of “word of mouth.” Take it for what it is and it may be better to error on the side of caution in this case.

 

 

Update:

The internet is reporting similar text messages and emails spreading across the entire country. The messages began around Tuesday and there have been no reported incidents thus far.

 

Update, Turlock Police:

Ron Reed of the Turlock Police Department said “it is known to us that this is apparently a nation issue with no verified source.”

 

The Turlock Police Department had contacted area Wal-Marts. Turlock Police and Wal-Mart are aware, but there is no verified threat or verified source.  There is no verified threat.

 

“Apparently this is some chain letter type text message that has gone crazy,” said Reed.