Fans of 2013 horror movie, starring Ethan Hawke, are taking the film’s violent message to heart, spreading rumors on social media about real life “purges” happening in cities across the country.

Threats of a “purge” happening in major cities started last week in Louisville, when a teenager took to Twitter to spread messages of the “Louisville Purge,” the high school student created a flier with a picture of one of the masked villains in the movie with a message that read “Whos trying to get a Louisville Purge Started With Me?” Viral Global News reports . The student later admitted to local police that he was just kidding and was surprised when reports of a “purge” happening appeared on the news.
Fast forward to this week, where more reports of “purges” happening began circulating. Similar fliers began circulating in Phoenix and Georgia, and there have even been threats in the Bay Area, parts of Texas and Delaware. Police in these areas are aware of the threats, but for the time being are taking them at face value, choosing not to respond to the hoax, Guardian Liberal Voices reports . They are however, looking into individuals who respond to the messages in hopes to participate.
The plot of The Purge which stars Hawke and Lena Headey, centers around a family who live in a futuristic society where all crime is legal, including murder, for 12 hours, one day out of the year.
Photo Credit: Dara Kushner/INFphoto.com