On Aug. 10, an Iroquois High School student tweeted an image calling for a “Louisville Purge.”

Featured in the eponymous film series, the Purge is a period of time in which all crime is legal.

The student’s image proposed a “Purge” from 8:00 p.m. Friday to 6:30 a.m. Saturday in Louisville.

“It was originally supposed to be just a fun thing, I never thought it’d get as serious as it did,” said the Iroquois student, whom RedEye has chosen not to identify by name for his own protection. “I was really shocked the first time I saw local media covering it.”

Local police are advising Louisville residents to stay safe and notify authorities of any suspicious activity. In an interview with the Courier-Journal, police spokesman Sgt. Phil Russell said the police “take any threat that would incite violence on our community seriously.”

“The police came to my house yesterday. I told them I was just joking around,” said the Iroquois student, who also announced on Twitter that he had been kicked off the school’s football team.

Other students soon began circulating a fake poster modeled after the original movie poster and additional tweets about the event. Local media organizations such as WAVE 3 and the Courier-Journal covered the story in response to local concerns.

“I was sitting in my house and watching ‘The Purge,’ and I thought of the tweet and picture that started it. But didn’t think it’d get that big from there. I didn’t mean any harm by this at all. I love my city,” the student said.

LMPD Spokesperson Officer Dwight Mitchell declined to confirm or deny the student’s identity with Redeye reporters.

Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.