VIDEO-Threat letter was sent out by mistake | KXAN.com

Updated: Friday, 09 Aug 2013, 5:57 PM CDTPublished : Thursday, 08 Aug 2013, 6:29 PM CDT

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Texas Military Forces says a memo its commanders received about a potential terror threat in Austin was sent out by mistake.

The force protection alert outlines what it refers to as unconfirmed reports from the Department of Homeland Security about a potential terror attack in Austin sometime Thursday or Friday.

After contacting the Texas Military Forces Headquarters, KXAN was told the internal memo was not intended for public release.

It was sent out last week before all the details could be verified. The memo was later rescinded, but copies of the memo are now circulating on social media. It mentions Austin's famous 6th St. as a potential target area.

Greg Lane works in an office on 6th St. and told KXAN some of his colleagues and friends were startled by the memo they found while browsing social media sites.

"It makes you wonder," he said. "You saw what happened in Boston. Who would have thought two guys would detonate bombs at the Boston Marathon? To me that was out of left field. It seems like anything is possible this day and age. But you never think it’s going to happen in your neck of the woods."

On Monday, the Austin Police Department confirmed it was briefed about a potential "low credibility threat" that could take place in Austin this week. APD says they are taking all necessary precautions to protect the public.

Residents who see something unusual are urged to simply speak up, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Preparations for terrorist attacks are often seen but rarely reported, DPS says. When in doubt, report the suspicious activity to your local law enforcement agency or through iWATCH , which is a DPS website where citizen-sourced information is collected in an effort to help thwart illegal and terroristic endeavors.

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/threat-letter-was-sent-out-by-mistake