Fake text message causes alarm

Officials are still investigating the source of a text message sent to several students' cell phones Tuesday night warning them about gang initiation week.

"This was not something that came from the UNC emergency alert system," said Nate Haas, director of media relations for UNC.

The text message was sent to an unidentified number of students. It stated, "Please do not walk anywhere alone ever. Gang initiation this week is to rape a UNC student." The message goes on to list the number for the University of Northern Colorado Police Department.

Haas said the message was not sent by the UNC Police Department, the Greeley Police Department or the Greeley gang unit. Although the source of the message is under investigation, the message circulated as students forwarded it to one other.

In the event of an actual emergency, the UNC Police Department would send the message directly to all students enrolled in the emergency alert system and the number displayed in the sender line would have been "231-77."

Emergency alerts can be confirmed online at http://emergency.unco.edu.

A question about the text message came up during Tuesday evening's systems of sexual assault panel at the University Center.

Sgt. Anthony Antuna from the UNC Police Department verified that the message was not sent from a campus organization.

"We have been getting reports about this, and these are totally unsubstantiated rumors," Antuna said.

He also confirmed that the case is still under investigation by the UNC Police Department.

"We are hearing that UNC police is putting this out," he said. "We are hearing that the Greeley Police Department is putting this out. In fact, just coming in here today, I saw three different texts forwarded to folks here, and every one of those texts were different."

Weld County District Attorney Ken Buck also presented at the panel and said the message was "absolutely implausible but not impossible" because gang members do not usually disclose their actions before they happen.

"As someone who has dealt with the gangs for four years now, it is implausible on it's face," Buck said. "It doesn't mean it's impossible, but gangs don't go around telling people what they're going to do before they do it."

Students who received the text messages expressed confusion and concern.

Jessica Blanchard received the text message and a subsequent phone call from a friend around 7 p.m.

"I was incredibly ticked off," said Blanchard, a junior French secondary education major. "I really felt like the gangs stayed away from UNC students."

Although Blanchard said she wasn't sure if the text message was true, she did consider its validity.

"I signed up for those UNC safety alerts so that's what made me think it wasn't true," she said, explaining that she would have thought the message was more credible if it had come directly from the UNC Police Department - not a friend.

Whatever the source of the message, Blanchard said she wasn't amused.

"Whoever sent it out - I don't know what they were thinking, but it's not a funny joke," Blanchard said. "Maybe they were just trying to get students to be more careful, but it's not funny."

Antuna said although origin of the messages are unknown, UNCPD is taking the matter seriously.

"If you get these text messages, please use your best judgment," Antuna said. "We don't want to go setting panic to everybody."

- News reporter for The Mirror Joshua Espinoza contributed to this article.