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HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University and Huntington Police officials are attempting to dispel rumors that are circulating in the wake of a nightclub shooting on 4th Avenue in downtown Huntington.

A text message warning Marshall University student-athletes to avoid the downtown because of potential violence spread across campus Wednesday morning, but it was not issued by the university or its athletic department, Marshall spokesman Bill Bissett said.

Many rumors are spreading through text messaging on campus following last weekend's shooting at Club Babylon in which one man died and three others were injured, Bissett said.

Some of those texts allege that the Marshall Athletic Department has warned all athletes to stay away from 4th Avenue through Saturday. One version says the club shootings were gang-related and that the Huntington Police Department has been notified that about 50 Detroit gang members are coming to Huntington for retaliation.

"Marshall University and its Athletic Department have not issued a formal statement or response to this incident," Bissett said in a prepared release. "Such information should be considered erroneous.

"However, as we always strongly suggest to our faculty, staff and students, they need to be aware of their surroundings at all times and take great care, especially at night."

Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook added that his department has not received any information thus far to suggest the shootings this past weekend were gang-related or that any form of retaliation is planned.

"This is what we characterize as viral communication," Holbrook said. "There's no credible intelligence whatsoever that there's any directed gang violence being planned against any other group or law enforcement.

"I wouldn't even say that we have gangs in Huntington. There might be loose-knit groups, but not gangs."

Holbrook also addressed another rumor that has circulated since the shootings -- that police officers are receiving threats.

"We have not received any substantiated threats made to law enforcement by any specific individual or group," he said. "If we did, someone would have been arrested by now.

"We recognize we're in the middle of an emotionally charged situation, so we are advising our officers to be vigilant, use extra caution and be professional."

Bissett said he saw multiple versions of the text message Wednesday. Details appeared to change as it was forwarded to more recipients, he said.

"The common thread in all of the texts appeared to be that the information was being relayed from the Athletic Department, but that's just not true," Bissett said. "If a student leader or head of an organization on campus would want to strongly suggest that students avoid a certain area for safety reasons, that's their prerogative."

Bissett also said none of the victims in Sunday's shooting was Marshall students. Police had initially said they believed one of the victims was a Marshall student.

Lori Wolfe/The Herald-Dispatch

Huntington Police Chief Skip Holbrook speaks with the press on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009, regarding the rumors of text messages warning Marshall University students to avoid downtown Huntington this weekend.

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