COLUMBUS, Ohio — The FBI is investigating a new wave of offensive and racist messages targeting high school students, Hispanic communities and LGBTQ+ groups.
According to a release sent Friday, the messages reportedly include threats of deportation or placement in "re-education camps." The agency added that some recipients also noted receiving similar messages via email.
As of Monday, it is unclear when they were sent or whether anyone in Ohio received the messages.
This comes two weeks after text messages were sent to Black Americans across the country, including Ohio. Those messages told recipients to report to a plantation to pick cotton.
Colleges across the country received reports from students receiving similar text messages, including Clemson University, Missouri State University, University of Alabama and The Ohio State University.
The FBI and attorney generals in several states confirmed people have received racist text messages. The Ohio Attorney General’s office said it was looking into the messages.
The FBI said it had not received reports of violence stemming from the message but is evaluating all reported incidents and engaging with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
It wasn’t clear who was behind the messages and there was no comprehensive list of where they were sent.
Anyone who receives similar text messages should report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-Call-FBI or online at tips.fbi.gov.
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