Threats Based on “The Purge” Movie: Real or Hoax?

Two stories circulating this week claim that threats and violence have occurred based on the movie “The Purge.” One of the stories is real, while the other is fake.

Let’s take a look at two different stories circulating in August 2014, both of which suggest that violence has been threatened or carried out based on scenes from the movie “The Purge.”

July 2014: Purge Hoax

In July 2014, a fake story from the website CreamBMP Daily circulated in which it was stated that 112 people were murdered by a group of teens reenacting a scene from The Purge 2 in Chicago. That story is completely false and no such incident occurred.

Cream BMP Daily is a parody website written by comedian CREAM, and all stories are listed as “for entertainment purposes only.”

August 2014: Real Purge Threats?

Only a month after the satirical story circulated, WLKY in Kentucky reported that a high school football scrimmage had been postponed due to a “threat of violence” based on the movie “The Purge.” This threat came in the form of a flier which had been circulating in the area.

Police are said to be investigating the flier, and some WLKY readers have suggested that the “purge” could also target the Kentucky State Fair, concerts, or football games. The mayor, police, and FBI have all issued statements relating to the flier.

The Courier-Journal also reported on the threatening flier, quoting Louisville police spokesman Sergeant Phil Russell as saying that while there were no specific threats in place, the police, “take any threat that would incite violence on our community seriously.”

The flier stated that the “Louisville Purge” would take place from Friday at 8pm until Saturday at 6:30am. Russell told the media that a heavy police presence would already be in effect due to several events taking place.

Admission of Hoax?

The person allegedly responsible for the fliers was interviewed by Redeye and stated that it was supposed to be “a fun thing” and that it spiraled out of control. The unnamed student stated that he was “shocked” to see the story covered by the media. The student stated that he had been visited by police and kicked off of the school’s football team.

Police have not verified the story reported by Redeye.

The Purge

This 2013 horror film depicts a future scenario in which all crime is legalized for a 12-hour period.

The film was set in August 2014 – the same month the threats were reported by WLKY. The Purge: Anarchy was released in July 2014 and is set in the year 2013. It was not called “The Purge 2” as the original July hoax stated.

Bottom Line

112 people were not killed in Chicago due to a recreation of scenes from the movie “The Purge.” Kentucky police, however, are investigating a threatening flier based on the movie. These threats have caused enough concern to lead to the postponement of a high school football scrimmage.