THE LEGEND
Last night my daughter came home from church in a panic because she had received a text that there would be gang members at Wal-Mart shooting random people, most likely targeting women. She worried that we had gone to Wal-Mart in her absence and had sent a text to my cell, of which I did not receive. Her fears were further compounded when on the way home from church she saw a cop car drive by, presumably on its way to the all night store on Broad Street. At the church my daughter was at an unofficial announcement by the pastor’s wife was made to warn parishioners from going to Wal-Mart.
At home, she quickly hopped on the internet and posted the information to a friend on a networking site she is on. The friend said the same thing was happening in his state. So, to their young minds they assumed it was a nation-wide gang threat. In my mind I knew immediately that it was one of those fabulous, realistic and scary stories that circulate every few years or so and which we affectionately call Urban Legends.
I hopped onto Snopes.com, the supreme ruler of Urban Legends, and typed in “Wal-Mart.” Lo and behold, the 2nd link on the list was our story, aptly titled “Wal-Martyred”. I read it to my daughter, alleviated her fears and went to sleep, thinking the whole matter put aside.
This morning I hopped onto my own networking site to find a local group that I belong to plagued with the same fears. About four people had posted saying they heard it from a friend who knows a cop. In one case it was “my aunt who has a friend that is a cop” and in the other it was “a pastor who has a military cop friend.” Supposedly Jessamine Mall was the next target.
I felt compelled to post the link at Snopes as well as alert them to the fact that it is an Urban Legend and has occurred in every state and every town with a Wal-Mart. About 3 hours later I check in again and everyone was shamefacedly replying that they heard on the news it was not real. However, a few posts left me feeling that my fellow Sumterites believed it HAD been a real threat but that the gang members called it off.
Two hours after that there were posts informing me that “gang members are not secret service and certainly would brag about crimes” (in response to my post asking why the gang would tell people). I was also told that I should not believe a website. However, the same people shocked that I did not believe the rumor based on websites DO believe the rumor based on websites, emails and text messages.
THE RESEARCH
The legend itself dates back to 2005 and is one of the many gang-related rumors. Due to increase in gang numbers and violence these rumors are easily believed and terrify the citizens of the towns in which they circulate. Society believe Urban Legends because they make fascinating stories and its like the “train wreck” syndrome where we all want to hear about bad things happening to good people, as long as those people are not us. On the other side of the spectrum are the good stories such as getting money. Most “good” Urban Legends involve receiving a bundle of money for something so simple and innocent, such as forwarding an email. We(society) believe these because we all want the Cinderella fairy tale ending.
When I decided to write this article I checked a few local sources to see if they were aware of the legend or had followed up on it, as I have done. Our local newspaper, The Item, mentioned nothing of the incident, as a rumor or otherwise, and I have yet to find any local news reference for it. In doing a search for a connection between Sumter and Wal-Mart shootings I did find a forum at topix.net in which there was a similar post regarding this legend and it was on a topic thread titled “Is Sumter a good place to move to?” So, it appears to only be something circulating through entertainment media (cell phones and internet) and not the more reliable sources of newspapers and television.
I placed a call to my local Wal-mart and spoke to a manager who politely (and a little rehearsed) informed me “we are working with local law enforcement in this matter” and I was given a toll-free number to call (1-800-331-0085). When I called, an automatic voice informed me it was the “Media Helpline” and there were two options: 1) for members of the media, 2) for Wal-mart managers needing assistance with the media.
When I finally spoke to a representative, I was given what I assumed to be a standard speech: they are aware of the rumor circulating, security efforts have been enhanced and threats like these are taken seriously but they do acknowledge that it may just be a rumor (well, I guess so since it has been circulating for 4 years and yet there are no recorded incidents of this occurring at ANY Wal-Mart anywhere.) When I asked if they alerted their employees to the legend or if they had fielded any phone calls from worried customers I was told “that information is secure and we cannot go into too much detail or it will become ‘not secure.’
A search at Google also shows that this rumor primarly hit southern states last night such as South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia but that in the past other states have been targeted as well. It sppears to hit states within a certain geographical area and the internet will soon be flooded with articles on newspaper, forums and other sources stating that the rumor is false and citing Urban Legend sites to go to.
WHY WE BELEIVE
These legends scare us because they entail stories that “could be” true and that “could be” is what has people believing them. The legends of the 70’s and 80’s were more along the lines of horror movies such as “Bloody Mary” and “The Hook”, they were perhaps less believable then today’s versions, but there was still an element of “could be” true. Today, they involve real-life scenarios with gangs, everyday household products and corporations. Society loves to hear rumors about large franchises and businesses almost as much as we love celebrity gossip.
Rumors and Urban Legends used to be popular mainly amongst slumber parties and campouts; the tales were isolated and not part of our everyday life. However, with technology Urban Legends are able to spread faster and there are more of them, it is safe to say we hear a legend at least once a week. They are spread in emails, text messages and websites. They can reach thousands of people in a few seconds and more people are finding their ears filled with Urban Legends.
With this particular legend we believe it because gangs are real and violence is real. With mass murders occurring such as what happened at Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas; the Massacre at Virginia Tech; and Columbine High School in Litleton, Colorado a gang shooting at Wal-mart is very probable. However, society is not privy to such information prior to the event. If it ever occurs you can rest assured that we will have heard about it during or after the fact but not before. Think about all the heinous crimes or natural destructions you can, and then name off how many you knew about prior to the incident (no fair if you are psychic). Chances are your answer will be “none.”
HOW TO RECOGNIZE A LEGEND
I am bothered that our society is so naïve as to believe absolutely everything that comes across to it. Urban Legends are perhaps the most believed and most spread of rumors, and no one stops to think “hey, is that even possible?” In the case of the gang initiation shootings at Wal-Mart why would gang members even spread the rumor to begin with? Most people do not alert law enforcement of their crimes prior to committing them. In addition to Snopes, a quick search of “Wal-mart gang shootings” at Google will even bring up many links related to the hoax. A few minutes of extra time and people can stop a rumor from spreading and stop giving it power.
So, what should a person do when they hear a wild news story; how do we know fact from fiction? Well, before jumping the gun (pun intended) stop and ask yourself a few questions: does it sound too good or crazy to be true? Is it even possible? Why would criminals announce the crime prior to committing it? Is it coming from a reliable source and can you name the original source? If these questions cannot be satisfactorily answered then head over to Snopes.com and see what they have to say about the matter.
SOURCES:
1. Wal-Mart Media Helpline 1-800-331-0085
2. Mikkelson, Barbara and David. “Wal-Martyred.” http://www.snopes.com/crime/gangs/walmart.asp Last updated on March 19th, 2009. Retrieved on March 19th, 2009.
–Snopes is a non-profit, free website maintained by a married couple who will call the companies involved, the law enforcement of the area in question and check hundreds of archives for any basis of truth or possibility to the legend. See an article about Snopes in the April issue of Reader’s Digest ( Rumor Detectives: True Story or Online Hoax?) or head over to the website www.readersdigest.com to read the article.http://www.snopes.comhttp://www.thinkingink.com/michael/urban_legends.htmhttp://www.urbanlegend.about.com
