A black candidate for city council in Illinois was racially abused during a Zoom video conference call with other council members, with the hacker threatening to shoot the woman, according to reports
As reported by the Chicago Tribune, city council candidate Carolyn Murrayreceived racist threats when a hacker broke into a conference call Murray was participating in, along with members of the Democratic Party.
The hacker managed to take control of the microphones and began threatening to shoot Murray and other black residents of the city. According to Eamon Kelly, a Democratic representative from Evanston and Carolyn Murray's son, he was the victim of a racist attack that cost him his life.
“It was a racist attack,” Kelly told the Daily Northwestern. “But Carolyn is not going to back down, the Democratic Party is not going to back down, and we will fully cooperate with the police to find out who did this.”
Murray's son, Justin, was fatally shot outside his grandmother's home in 2012, the Tribune reported.
The hacker also sent messages to the other people who took part in the conference call saying "Trump 2024" and published Murray's home address, as well as the addresses of other people.
The despicable incident led dozens of supporters to gather at Murray's home late Sunday holding a lit candle.
"Discrimination can happen anywhere, and that's something we cannot tolerate," said Police Chief Demitrous Cook. "This is a very difficult time for America. It's time for all of us to stand as brothers and sisters."
Evanston police are investigating the incident.
Murray, meanwhile, told supporters Sunday that she would not be intimidated by the death threat, the Daily Northwestern reported. “You all came together because you felt a call to speak out, to take action against racism,” Murray told the more than 40 people who had gathered at her home. “My name is Carolyn Murray. You came against me. You can come against my children. You came against my city. You came against my country, and what I’m going to say to you is, ‘I’m not afraid.’”.
