Campground Carla?
A white campground worker in Mississippi was fired this week after she was caught on video pulling a gun on a black couple and ordering them to leave — all because they didn’t have a reservation.
“RACISM IS ALIVE AND WELL!” wrote Jessica Richardson, of Macon, in a Facebook post Sunday. “Today was a beautiful day so my husband (who’s a vet), our 2 year old dog, and myself, decided to Google a lake to visit and have a picnic. We found a lake located in starkville, ms and decided to visit. Not five mins later a truck pulls up and a white lady screams at us, she then jumps out of her truck with a Gun.”
Cellphone footage shows the woman, who has not been identified, in a standoff with Richardson and her husband, Franklin, at Okitbbeha County Lake. The couple had stumbled into an area near the lake that is owned by Starkville Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and is technically private property.
“This lady literally just pulled a gun because we’re out here and didn’t have reservations,” Richardson says on video. “For a lake we didn’t know we had to have reservation for.”
The woman, who is a grounds manager, tells her: “That’s what the office is for up there, ma’am.”
To which Richardson replies, “All you had to do was tell us … We would have left. You didn’t have to pull a gun.”
The woman fires back, “Well I’m just telling you, you need to leave because it’s under private ownership … Y’all just can’t be out here … KOA will not let you.”
The organization released a statement Tuesday saying the employee had been fired after Richardson’s video went viral.
“KOA does not condone the use of a firearm in any manner on our properties or those owned and operated by our franchises,” said group spokesman Mike Gast. “The employee involved in the incident has been relieved of her duties.”
Social media users have been comparing the worker to “Dog Park Debbie,” “BBQ Becky” and other white women who have gone viral over the past year for allegedly overreacting in situations with black people.
“Another idiot whose prejudice is loud and clear,” said one Facebook user.
