Web posting causes scare

By Liz McMahan
Phoenix Staff Writer

April 10, 2008 09:55 pm

— A YouTube video promoting a Bare Bones Film Festival movie prompted an investigation of what was first thought to be a possible terrorist threat.
The video was posted to the popular Internet Web site on April 4, under the title “Warning, Muskogee, OK,” by someone identifying themselves as muskogeeABD. By Thursday afternoon, there had been more than 2,200 hits on the video. It was removed from the Web later in the afternoon.
The video script told Muskogee people “to open your eyes. April 25th is a day you will come to remember.”
The narrator used what police believed was a fake accent to predict “... the end is coming. The wicked of this world will be separated from the chosen. I will not be on your doorstep to convince you of this. You either see or you do not see.”
Muskogee Police and the FBI had begun an investigation of the video as a possible terrorist threat when it was discovered a movie titled “A Beautiful Day” is scheduled to air April 25 at the film festival in Muskogee.
The film synopsis said it is “a mind-bending homage to classic suspense and religion horror.”
James Bridges, technical director for the 30-minute film by Outsiders Productions, said Thursday afternoon he had not intended to scare anyone with the video posting.
When he put it online he had not intended it to be accessible to public view until closer to the movie’s release, he said.
“This is not where I wanted to go with this at all,” Bridges said. “I very much apologize for any kind of fear as to a terrorist attack. We had it up (online) so we could watch it from our home so we could see what needed to be done to it.”
The language in the video is directly from the movie script, he said. There were more videos due to be posted, each one giving more clues as to the movie, with the last one giving the time and place of airing.
Among the responses that had been posted to the video was one from a person whose e-mail address identified him as Kenny Pitts at the Oklahoma Lottery Commission.
“That’s really cool,” his response stated. “I was thinking there should be an exact time and place, what do you think?”
Pitts is listed as producer of the movie.
Pitts also offered his apologies to anyone who was scared because of the posting.
He said he was unaware his work e-mail address was linked to his posting and said he would have it removed as soon as possible.
ShIronbutterfly Ray, one of the Bare Bones Festival directors, said she wasn’t aware of the You Tube video until Thursday and it had been removed before she saw it. She did not think it would adversely affect the festival and the movie is scheduled to be shown at 6 p.m. April 25.
Muskogee Police took the scare of the perceived threat in the movie trailer seriously.
“We take everything seriously,” said Brad Holt, police community relations officer. “It’s no different than a child playing on a telephone and dialing 911. They may do it repeatedly, four or five times at the same address. Even though the dispatcher knows it’s a child, we still have to check that out because there’s that one chance in a million it’s the real deal.”
Muskogee resident Edna Phelps said she had taken the video as a serious threat. She already had planned for her children to stay home from school April 25.
“It scared me to death,” she said. “That person ought to be punished.”
Muskogee Police Lt. Bert Poole said a decision likely will be made today as to whether investigators will pursue charges.
Reach Liz McMahan at 918-684-2926 orClick Here to Send Email