No, a Georgia sheriff’s office didn’t warn people that KKK members are planning attacks

A recent chain message shared across social media and sent to a number of VERIFY readers appears to show a warning to people in Georgia ahead of Election Day.

A portion of the message reads, “Hey ladies, I just received this from a friend who works in the Gwinnett County [Georgia] Sheriff’s office!!!! Be on Alert… Last night, a deputy told a family that local White Supremacists/KKK members originating out of Lexington, NC, are planning to attack from now until the Inauguration. They are plotting against Blacks, especially black women because in their eyes, we are easy targets, Please be vigilant!”

The message also claims it’s “not a hoax or a rumor,” and an unnamed deputy showed official police paperwork to whomever sent it.

Readers Sandra, Gina, Monique, Wanda and Myranda all asked if the warning is real.

THE QUESTION

Is the chain message about KKK members targeting people in Georgia real?

THE SOURCES

• Gwinnett County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office
• Rockdale County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office
• City of Lexington, North Carolina’s spokesperson Derwin Hargrave

THE ANSWER

No, a chain message about KKK members targeting people in Georgia isn't real. 

WHAT WE FOUND

Law enforcement officials in Georgia and North Carolina confirmed the warning of violence circulating online and in text messages isn’t real and is being used to "instill fear" among voters to discourage them from showing up to vote on Election Day. These posts - which appear across multiple social media platforms - are an example of 'copypasta,' which is internet slang for a block of text repeatedly copied and shared. 

On social media, the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office addressed the claims and said it has not received any information about threats to any group of people. 

“Hateful discourse such as this aims to instill fear in the community and disrupt us from exercising our constitutional rights. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office remains dedicated to protecting all citizens and we will continue to monitor and respond accordingly to all suspicious and threatening behavior,” the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office’s message said. 

Rockdale County, Georgia, Sheriff Eric J. Levett was also made aware of the chain message, stating on social media that in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, "we have validated that this message is untrue."

Derwin Hargrave, spokesperson for the City of Lexington, North Carolina, told VERIFY that claims about violent groups traveling from Lexington “are not confirmed to be legitimate, but we are remaining vigilant.”

Although these are not official warnings, police still encourage anyone feeling threatened on or after Election Day to contact law enforcement. Voter intimidation is illegal. Federal law says it's illegal to “intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.”