CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SAN DIEGO COUNTY
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department took the unusual step Thursday afternoon of issuing a statement to try to stamp out a rumor that gang-initiation killings were planned at local Wal-Marts.
“These rumors, which have become widespread in San Diego County, are false,” department officials announced after they received dozens of panicky calls from would-be shoppers.
The rumor, apparently fed by the Internet, has surfaced in numerous communities across the country in recent days.
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-- Tony Perry
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