In the aftermath of any terrible tragedy, such as Orlando or San Bernardino, there are bound to be false alarms in the days following the panic and sadness. Part of this comes from horrendous people preying on the fear of others in a sensitive time, and part of it is that law enforcement agents and concerned civilians are naturally more alert after a terrorist attack than on a normal day. “See something, say something” turns into less of a mantra to keep in the back of your mind than a constant refrain that is repeated throughout the day. Some suspected incidents or false alarms are scarier than others though, and that is exactly what the San Diego LGBT+ community is currently going through after a scary Craigslist ad was posted in the area.
The ad, which has since been removed and is under investigation by the FBI, reads like a checklist of horror as it attempts to intimidate the San Diego area.
“Orlando was long overdue. Cleanse your community of the filth that gives decent gay men and women a bad name. Those people were walking diseases, bug chasers, and thank god for AIDS and 9-11 and now Orlando. San Diego you are next …”
It’s despicable to even read. There will always be hate in the world somewhere, but it never becomes less shocking to see in such a stark and purposeful way. Whether the investigation finds that the threat is legitimate (the cops say they have no “credible threats” in the area at this time) or whether it only is somebody attempting to gain notoriety by instilling fear in a community. Regardless, unless they are a master hacker who can completely mask their IP address there is a high probability that they will be caught by the police or FBI in short order. Because make no mistake, the FBI is 100% not messing around with threats like this one. According to ABC 10 News, Special Agent Darrell Foxworth says,
“We are going to use all lawful means available to us, so if we have to go out and get a search warrant, we will do that. If it doesn’t require a search warrant, we’re going to do whatever it takes to do it in a lawful and legal matter.”
“We don’t have the luxury of just looking at this and letting it go.”
The San Diego police are also increasing patrols and the police presence around crowded areas and gay bars in the city. As much as everyone clearly hopes it is a false threat, you can never be too safe when so many recent events make even the prospect of another attack against the gay community scarily possible.
(Via ABC 10 News)