Quinton Lucas, the mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, received a “subtle death threat” and subjected to “racial slur” after announcing new rules for face masking to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the city.
According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 10.4 million people worldwide have been infected with Covid-19. Out of that number 2,727,996 people were infected in the United States with 130,123 deaths.
Lucas took to Twitter on Monday to share the screenshot of the disturbing text exchange that included the threat he received on Sunday.
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“You are such a piece of s*** n*****!” one message in the screenshotted image said. “You walked with RIOTERS not wearing a mask idiot,” another said.
“You should swing from a tree, I’m not threatening it, but would love to see it,” another said.
The disturbing texts, according to reports appeared to be sent from the same number, and the mayor, CBS News reported, is yet to release the identity of the texter.
Lucas announced last Friday new guidelines for wearing masks in the city as experts warn coronavirus cases in the United States could go up to 100,000 a day if the rising trend in cases in some states doesn’t turn around. The new requirements, KSHB reported went into effect Monday in the city of 491,000 people.
“If we’re talking about things whether it be social media comments, or violent crime, or any of these other things, my idea is let’s just go back to having respect,” Lucas said of the threat Monday during a press encounter, according to KCTV. “Let’s go back to having respect for people, for others, for our differences. Understanding that everybody’s just trying to do their best each day.”
He further told NBC News on Tuesday that the disturbingly threatening messages are “a sad reflection of where some people are in our country.”
“What the hell does someone having a mask policy have to do with dropping N-bombs and talking about people hanging from a tree?” he asked.
Lucas also shared a photo he described as “fake” in which he and another man were holding up t-shirts which writings appear to be slogans referencing a local radio station. In the other, the shirt Lucas is holding reads “F*** the police,” and the other man’s says “Black Lives Matter.”
According to him, the “photoshopped” images are “the dumbest frickin’ thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The Kansas City police said it is not currently investigating the incident, NBC News reported. “If a police report was made, then we would be investigating. I am not aware of one at this time,” a spokesperson for the police said.
