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14-year-old KCK among victims of post-election race-baiting text scheme
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14-year-old KCK among victims of post-election race-baiting text scheme

WARNING: This report contains words and phrases taken from racist text messages that some may find offensive.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kahmaree Dudley sat on her aunt’s couch, surrounded by fall-themed decorations, her phone in hand. It had a message on it that his mother called disgusting. Slightly built and quiet, he read the text aloud. Her mother wanted people to know exactly what someone or some group was putting children through.

The 14-year-old freshman was in class at Wyandotte High School on Thursday when she opened her phone and saw the message sent the previous morning.

But then she and her mother learned that similar messages began pouring into inboxes across the country starting the day after the presidential election.

Metin greeted him by name and said that he had been “chosen to pick cotton from the nearest field.” He gave the date and time (Friday noon) and said a brown van would pick him up.

The FBI is launching an investigation after a KCK youth was among those subjected to intimidation and mistreatment.
The FBI is launching an investigation after a KCK youth was among those who received frightening and racist messages on November 8, 2024.(KCTV5/Betsy Webster)

Kahmaree took a screenshot and sent it to her mother, Lori Dudley. He immediately contacted the school. The principal, school resource officer, and counselor all responded.

“They assured her that she was fine. “No one can break into the school or come at 12 o’clock and take her away in a brown van,” Lori said.

Kahmaree said she wasn’t afraid right now, but she was for a moment.

“I was like, ‘Well, they know my name, they know my number, they might know my address, where I live, where I stay,'” Kahmaree said, thinking back to Thursday.

It alarmed them that someone knew how to reach him. His name was spelled correctly, although it was an unusual spelling. The phone is registered in his mother’s name, not his.

Concerns for Kamari’s personal safety subsided when she and her mother realized it was not directed at her specifically, but it still hurts deeply.

“I just hear about planting and think about your kids being taken away,” Lori said, describing her feelings on the matter.

The FBI, FCC and U.S. Department of Justice are investigating scores of similar texts sent to black adults and children in at least 20 states, including Missouri and Kansas. Some of the children are of secondary school age. The target audience of many universities, including Missouri State University, was large numbers of students. They started attacking inboxes the day after the election. Some ended with a reference to the sender being a “Trump supporter.”

The Missouri Information Analysis Center sent a bulletin to area schools on Thursday alerting them to the situation.

The FBI is launching an investigation after a KCK youth was among those subjected to intimidation and mistreatment.
The FBI is launching an investigation after a KCK youth was among those who received frightening and racist messages on November 8, 2024.(KCTV5/Betsy Webster)

Kahmaree’s cousin in California received a similar message using her first and last name to a phone number registered to her cousin’s mother.

The FBI is launching an investigation after a KCK youth was among those subjected to intimidation and mistreatment.
The FBI is launching an investigation after a KCK youth was among those who received frightening and racist messages on November 8, 2024.(KCTV5/Betsy Webster)

“This is emotional not only for him but also for me because I love my children. “You don’t want to see them go through something,” Lori said. “Even though it seems fine, when we’re at home and we’re talking, deep down inside she’s like, ‘Why would people do this?'”

Kahmaree is a sensitive soul. She thinks about other young people who have received similar messages.

“It’s not nice for these kids to have to worry about being abducted or abducted,” he said.

Lori also worries about their emotional well-being. He knows they don’t all have adults surrounding them with positive messages. He’s hopeful federal investigators will get to the bottom of the incident.

“Catch whoever is behind this, stop it because children do not deserve to go through this,” he said.

KCTV5 contacted the Kansas City FBI office to find out the best way for people to report the messages they receive. A spokesperson sent the following statement from the FBI:

The FBI is aware of offensive and racist text messages being sent to individuals across the country and is in contact with the Department of Justice and other federal officials regarding the matter.

As always, we encourage the public to report threats of physical violence to local law enforcement.