The Midland and Odessa Police Departments are letting the public know that a post circulating on social media about an alleged shooting threat is a hoax.

The following comes from the Odessa Police Department:

The Odessa Police Department was recently made aware of information being shared on social media sites about potentially armed persons being detained by the Lubbock Police Department, prior to them heading to the Midland/Odessa area.

We reached out within the Law Enforcement Community with Lubbock Police Department and found that this information was not true, in fact this was a hoax message spread to cause fear in our community.

The Odessa Police Department wants to remind the public to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

If you see something out of the ordinary that does not appear right, please call 9-1-1 to report the information.

We strive on the public’s support in helping us stay aware of what is going on in the community.

The following comes from the Midland Police Department:

The Midland Police Department has contacted the Lubbock Police Department and Texas Rangers and the social media posts of a shooter coming to Walmart in Midland cannot be substantiated. There is no information to validate this report.

When reading post on social media please look to verified law enforcement agency pages for validated information. We will continue to monitor such reports.