VIDEO: NC Town Canceled Holiday Fireworks Over Gang Threats
Officials in the town of Hamlet, NC, decided to cancel the annual downtown Independence Day celebration and fireworks this week because of fear of gang violence.
Hamlet Police Chief Scott Waters said officers received credible threats from multiple people over the weekend threatening violence at the celebration.
“When it comes to public safety, why take the chance of having someone innocent getting hurt?” Waters told WSOC TV.
Investigators determined the threats weren't toward police or spectators but were about gang-retaliation for last week's murder of Tierrell Martin outside a Hamlet convenience store.