According to an email sent to Cleveland 19 News, five Target stores were selected as recipients of bomb threats late last week.

Target is full of __ cowards who turned their back on the LGBT community and decided to cater to the homophobic right wing bigots who protested and vandalized their store. We won’t stand idly by as the far right continues to hunt us down. We are sending you a message, we placed a bomb in the following targets [sic].

“We will continue to bomb your targets [sic] until you stop cowering and bring back your LGBT merchandise,” they continued. “We will not be erased, we won’t go away quietly.”

The Cleveland news outlet quickly notified police and it was not known how legitimate the threats were until the Cleveland FBI investigated further.

Swatting, the act of calling emergency services as a hoax to send personnel to specific locations, is a crime and has been an increasing issue. Last year, the Cleveland FBI issued a statement reminding citizens that swatting is a federal crime in Ohio as of April, with up to five years in prison.

Target stores in other states received threats as well, including four stores in Utah. Sgt. John Ottesen with Layton Police told CBS affiliate KUTV 2News that the email they received was from a scam email address. Customers and staff were evacuated, and a K9 unit was sent to assess the threat.

The boycott to which the email refers occurred after Americans raised concerns about Target’s new LGBT line of clothing,including “tuck friendly” girl’s swimsuits designed for biological males, as well as items with self-identified satanic imagery and words. Many items were targeted at young children. The retailer’s stock value plummeted $10 billion due to a major boycott led by conservatives who swore off Target either through the month of June or indefinitely.

While conservatives have boycotted the store, left-leaning individuals have taken to social media to accuse conservatives of “literally terrorism,” according to Newsweek, based on their unwillingness to support stores that sell items promoting agendas that they do not support.

"Target's giving into this," said Victor Asal, a professor at Albany and extremism researcher who spoke with ABC. “Other extremists will say 'hey, that's a great idea. We should do that.'”

According to those boycotting Target, their choices have nothing to do with rainbow flags or displays, but about the merchandise geared toward influencing children.

Benny Johnson, conservative commentator, tweeted, along with a video tour of product displays:

If you want to understand the power of the Target Boycott you MUST see what Target is promoting for yourself.

 

This has *nothing* to do with a rainbow "PRIDE" display. This has *everything* to do with the aggressive and explicit sexualization of children.