james writes "BOISE -- A text message that states three women would be killed at Wal-Mart for gang initiation today is a nationwide hoax.
Numerous woman have called the KTVB newsroom and local police saying they received the message or heard about it from friends. It warns women to stay away from Wal-Mart.
A Nampa Police spokeswoman says they have a special investigator looking into the source of the text. Meridian Police told us they had not heard about the text message.
Law enforcement agencies around the country have been inundated with similar calls today, according to MSNBC.
It is an urban legend which has been circulating since 2005.
The rumor has its roots in an e-mail hoax that has been floating around for several years. It originated in 2005 in the Memphis area, according to Snopes. com, a Web site on urban legends.
E-mails circulated, warning of deadly gang initiations involving the killing of women and children who were shopping at Wal-mart. But no such slayings were ever reported.
"
