From: obri0051@gold.tc.umn.edu (Heather L OBrien-1) Subject: Re: New Urban Legend? Date: Sun, 19 Sep 1993 06:40:05 GMT >From The Milwaukee Journal, Saturday, September 18, 1993, page A22: "Flyers on gang killings are false, police say (Doubt cast on claim that youths chase cars, kill motorists for sport)" Gory rumors of late-night gang initiation murders, being circulated in flyers in parts of the city and suburbs, are completely without basis in fact, according to the gang crimes unit of the Milwaukee Police Department. A representative of the unit said Friday she did not know who was circulating the flyers or how many people had received them. Another officer said the flyers had been seen in western Milwaukee and near the Milwaukee County Medical Center, 9000 W. Wisconsin Ave., Wauwatosa. According to the flyer, a new method of inducting gang members involves gang initiates who drive around the city during the evening without using headlights. When an oncoming driver flashes his or her headlights to alert the other car that it is without headlights, the gang members supposedly chase the car and kill the driver and passengers. "Gang members interpret that as 'lights out,' a euphemism for killing someone," said the representative for the gangs crime unit, paraphrasing the flyer. The police official did not want to be identified. Police emphasized that they have not heard of a single incident that is vaguely similar, the officer said. According to the flyer, "two families have fallen victim" to the gang initiation ritual in Milwaukee. "I assume that that means taht two families have been murdered by gang members," the officer said. Police said that they had never found any family that had been attacked or killed in such a manner. Apparently, the flyers started to circulate in Chicago and came to Milwaukee several days ago. News of the flyers was discussed on a Milwaukee radio station, the officer said. The Chicago Police Department, the Chicago branch of the FBI, the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee branch of the FBI all report that the flyers are "totally unsubstantiated," another officer in the gangs crime unit confirmed Friday. "Chicago is unaware of any similar incidents involving gang initiation, so we're not putting anything out (in the form of public information) and we have no reason to believe this applies to Milwaukee," the first officer said. "If this were a substantiated claim, we would put something out for the health and safety of residents. But there is no substantiation," she said. Television coverage of the flyers aired Thursday night. Since then, news of the ritual is "spreading like wildfire," the officer said. "But no one can confirm the validity of the flyers." - Jes "It's 1:43 Sunday morning, and I just typed in an entire article" ter --