Police in Irving, Texas, are investigating death threats targeting Indian and Chinese IT workers.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that a letter was sent to an Irving resident in which the writer threatens to “shoot mercilessly” immigrants of Indian and Chinese descent who work in the information technology field has law enforcement officials in the city concerned.
The letter may have gone out to multiple people and may have been sent to people in other Texas cities, police said. If anyone else has received such a letter, investigators with the Irving Police Department say they would like to know, according to the report.
“This person is threatening to shoot up a pool area, a playground, a business, so anyone could fall victim to this,” said Robert Reeves, Irving Police Department spokesman.
Reeves is asking anyone who has received such a letter not to open it if possible so as to preserve any forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, that might be present. Any recipients of similar letters are asked to notify police and to try not to contaminate any existing evidence by opening it, Reeves said in the report
The letter is headed with a message that says, “Return back to your country,” followed by a profane salutation, according to the publication.
“American citizens in IT industry and other professional fields have lost their jobs to many Indians and Chinese,” the letter says. “We asked you to leave the country without further delay. We will have no choice but to shoot mercilessly at work place, in community, on pool or on playground.”
Police are asking people in other cities, especially if they are members of the demographic mentioned in the letter, to please check their mail to see if they have received a similar communication, the report adds.
“Sometimes people look at their mail and don’t really look at it,” Reeves said.
People may just look at the letter and conclude that it is junk mail and discard it, Reeves said in the report. Also, police would like to speak to anyone who may have knowledge of who generated or distributed the letter.
“Our residents are our best eyes and ears,” Reeves added. “If you see something, say something.”
The investigator who has been assigned to this case can be contacted at [email protected], according to police.
“Right now this is an isolated incident,” Irving police said on social media. “If you have received a letter let us know. We take harassment and hate crime extremely serious.”