WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — Monroe police are setting the record straight about a fake post that went viral.
A Facebook post surfaced Friday afternoon that warned residents of a serial killer on the loose who was targeting children and elderly women. It came from a fake headline generator.
The post was not real, but it brought real fear to the community. Police said they received lots of calls about it.
"They have shared it many times already and we just want to share that it is not true. This is clearly a prank," Monroe police Lt. Brent Davis said.
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The Monroe Police Department and the Walton County Sheriff's Office took to social media to calm the public.
"This has got everyone in an uproar thinking that there is someone out and they need to stay inside their homes. which is not the case," Davis said.
"Why would you post something like that if it wasn't true? It would just scare a bunch of people," resident Julia Wellborn said. "You need to be really careful about what you post, just make sure it's true."
Police said they have reached out to Facebook to have the post removed.