Sullivan County, NY – Over the last two days, cell phone customers in Sullivan County have been receiving an anonymous text message claiming that a gang initiation would take place at the local Wal-Mart where three women would be shot. The text message ends by requesting that the message be forwarded to other cell phones.

“Our gang intelligence officer looked into this claim and determined that it is a hoax which began on the internet in 2005”, Sullivan County Sheriff Mike Schiff told YWN. “Of course hoax or not, we have beefed up our patrols at Wal-Mart in the Town of Thompson so that our citizens feel safe”, said the Sheriff.

Calls started coming into the Sheriff’s Office Friday when citizens began getting the text message. County Legislator Elwin Wood called the Sheriff’s Office when some of his constituents received the message as far north as Roscoe. A check of the popular “Urban Legend” website Snopes.com indicates that the hoax has circulated around the United States, either as an e-mail or text message, since 2005 and has been seen as far west as Honolulu, Hawaii.

“Regardless of the hoax, in this post 9/11 era, we always encourage citizens to report any suspicious activity they may see”, said the Sheriff.

(Dov Gordon – YWN Sullivan County News Desk)