Officials condemn racist texts sent to Black residents in several states

Officials and universities successful respective U.S. states condemned racist matter messages that were sent to Black residents connected Wednesday. The messages, which had almost identical language, told nan recipient they had been "selected for fabric picking." 

In a statement, nan FBI said it was alert of "the violative and racist matter messages sent to individuals astir nan country" and said it is successful interaction pinch nan Justice Department and different national authorities.

The texts were received by group successful states including Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Ohio, CBS News found. NAACP President Derrick Johnson condemned nan messages and said they correspond an "alarming summation successful vile and abhorrent rhetoric." 

The texts were sent from numbers pinch area codes successful astatine slightest 25 different states, CBS News found. By Thursday, respective numbers were disconnected, while others went to voicemail that identified them arsenic TextNow users, a supplier that allows group to create telephone numbers for free. 

TextNow said successful a connection that it had "learned that 1 aliases much of our accounts whitethorn person been utilized to nonstop matter messages successful usurpation of our position of service," adding that it unopen down nan accounts arsenic soon arsenic it became aware.

"We do not condone nan usage of our work to nonstop harassing aliases spam messages and will activity pinch nan authorities to forestall these individuals from doing truthful successful nan future."

CBS News said to 1 of nan individuals who sent a type of nan text. The person, whose area codification was linked to Fort Wayne, Indiana, said nan connection was a prank earlier they abruptly ended nan call. Subsequent requests for remark went unanswered.  

Officials study wide messages

The Virginia's Attorney General's Office told CBS News it is alert of nan messages and "unequivocally condemns them," urging recipients to interaction section rule enforcement and nan FBI if they judge they are nether threat. 

The Atlanta Police Department successful Georgia told CBS News they are alert of nan texts and are not investigating astatine this time, but urged residents to study immoderate suspicious messages. 

Several schools and universities besides said their students received nan texts. 

Clemson University Police Department successful South Carolina said they received reports of students receiving racist texts, while immoderate Black students astatine nan University of Alabama besides received nan messages, according to the student newspaper. 

Some students astatine Ohio State University received nan texts arsenic well, schoolhouse spokesperson Benjamin Johnson told CBS News. "We person reported nan messages to nan Office of Institutional Equity and are offering support services. We are alert that this is happening nationally," said Johnson.

Lower Merion School District successful Pennsylvania warned parents successful a letter Thursday that mediate schoolers received racist matter messages. The schoolhouse territory did not qualify what nan matter messages said. 

Maryland's Montgomery County said successful a missive to families and students that section rule enforcement and nan FBI are alert of these messages, and that "law enforcement successful immoderate areas person announced they see nan messages low-level threats."

Recipients picture fear 

CBS News said to 2 residents of Atlanta who reported receiving nan messages. Devereaux Adams, 27, said he felt "afraid and hurt" erstwhile he received nan matter connected Wednesday afternoon.

Adams said it's "very confusing" because he can't show wherever aliases really nan personification sending nan texts sewage his interaction information. "I don't consciousness safe astatine all," Adams said. 

Another Atlanta resident, Monet Miller, 29, said she felt frightened aft receiving nan messages. She said her friends successful North Carolina besides sewage nan text.

"I knew it was a prank but to spot that truthful early aft nan predetermination I was shook. Just made maine beryllium much cautious of my surroundings and wherever I go," Miller told CBS News. 

Fort Lauderdale resident Corryn G. Freeman said she received a racist matter astatine 5:30 p.m. connected Wednesday from a section number she did not recognize. "It conscionable really sparked fear. It sparked anger. I judge that they cognize that I'm a Black female aliases a Black person, which is why they would target maine pinch that type of inflammatory racism," Freeman said.

After posting astir receiving nan connection connected societal media, Freeman said 2 of her friends reached retired to show her their kids, some Black, received akin racist matter messages.

"It's not adjacent that they person to person to process this level of racism aft an predetermination that they did not participate in. But because of nan boldness of whoever this is post-election, they are subjected to it," Freeman said.

Scott MacFarlane contributed to this report.