The Chicago Police Department dispelled Friday rumors of a terrorist attack planned for Chicago over the weekend.
The department’s crime prevention and intelligence center became aware of the bogus threat and said “there is no credible threat to Chicago or any event in the city.”
Police encouraged anyone with information about suspicious activity to call 911 or submit an anonymous tip to www.CPDtip.com.
"Earlier this evening we became aware of messages being shared on social media and by text speculating about a rumored terrorist threat," Alicia Tate-Nadeau, executive director of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications said in a statement. "I have personally spoken with our federal law enforcement partners tonight and there remain no credible threats to Chicago or to any event in our city."
Messages spreading on social media claimed that friends or relatives who work for the police department had told them a terror attack was planned for River North near downtown Chicago on Saturday.
“Supposedly there is a ‘secret’ terror threat in Chicago this weekend, specifically River North, Source: friend of a friend whose bro is CPD,” one Twitter user wrote.
Police said the ominous warnings were also being shared via text message.
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Authorities will continue to monitor the situation, police said.
The messages come just days after a 29-year-old man used a rental truck to mow down pedestrians in Manhattan on Tuesday.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack that left eight dead and more than a dozen wounded.
The OEMC's website has a section offering advice on what to do should an individual find themselves in the midst of a terror attack.
“Be vigilant. Be aware of suspicious behaviors or out-of-place activities around you,” the website reads. “Look for strange behavioral traits-not appearance, because a terrorist can come from any ethnic group or walk of life.”
