False and misleading claims flooded social media in the two days it took officials to 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect in of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
The reaction followed a pattern of misinformation and conspiracy theories that breaking news events, when facts can be fluid. Those kinds of posts appeared within hours of the shooting, with some of the earliest incorrectly identifying the gunman before officials released information about a suspect. Thursday and Friday saw more claims, including old videos and photos presented as recent footage of the shooter and erroneous reporting on Robinson's background.
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Here's a look at the facts.
Women pray Saturday at a memorial outside Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, after Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed there.
°ä±ô²¹¾±³¾:ÌýRobinson is a registered Republican.
The facts: This is false. show Robinson was registered as a voter, but not affiliated with either political party. His voter status is inactive, meaning in two regular general elections after receiving a notice from his county clerk. According to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Robinson's family said he became "more political in recent years" and criticized Kirk, mentioning that he was due to appear at an event in Utah and saying "Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate." Cox said ammunition found at the scene was engraved with taunting, anti-fascist and meme culture messaging.
A memorial for Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk is seen Saturday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Claim: Robinson is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
The facts: This is false. Priscilla Yeverino, spokesperson for the group, confirmed, "we have no members in DSA named Tyler Robinson anywhere in the country." A photo of a person who resembles Robinson wearing a Salt Lake City DSA shirt with the slogan "bee the change" was used to support this claim. Yeverino declined to confirm that person's identity "for this person's privacy and safety." Before Robinson's arrest, many on social media quickly assumed the shooter was a Democrat and prominent conservative figures, including President Donald Trump, blamed liberal politics for Kirk's death.
A person walks by a growing memorial Saturday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, after Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed there.
Claim: A video of a man running toward a parking lot shows the shooter escaping.
The facts: This is false. was filmed July 28, more than a month before Kirk was shot, and began spreading before Robinson's arrest. It shows Dakota Hawver, the suspected gunman who and injured three others at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, running from the front of the resort in the direction of its front parking lot. Multiple published the footage after the Reno shooting. Police shot Hawver and he days later. A version of the misrepresented video included a caption falsely stating: "video shows Charlie Kirk's real shooter escaping."
Claim: Democrats opposed a moment of prayer for Kirk in the House.
The facts: This is misleading. The House observed a "moment of prayer for Charlie Kirk and his family" Wednesday at the request of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. A subsequent request for a "moment of prayer out loud" elicited vocal objections and chaos on the House floor. members standing silently for about 30 seconds. Johnson then bangs his gavel and Rep. Lauren Boebert says, "silent prayers get silent results," before requesting that someone lead a spoken prayer. An audible "no" can be heard in response, among other protests. Shouting continues for about a minute, with Johnson banging his gavel and saying, "The House will be in order," several times. In the commotion, Johnson also says, "We will join for prayer right after this, OK?" Many posts claiming Democrats opposed a moment of prayer for Kirk shared clips that omitted Johnson's initial request and the ensuing silence.
Claim: The shooter was identified as Michael Mallinson or George Zinn.
The facts: This is false. Robinson was named as the suspected shooter Friday. Others, including Mallinson and Zinn, were misidentified as the shooter as authorities searched for a suspect. Mallinson is a 77-year-old Toronto resident who that he found out he was wrongly accused after receiving a panicked call from his daughter telling him to delete his social media accounts. He said before the shooting, he "never heard of Charlie Kirk." Mallinson bears a resemblance to a man named George Zinn, who was filmed being dragged away handcuffed by two officers. The video spread widely on social media after the shooting. The it "initially took in George Zinn as a suspect" but later released him and charged him with obstruction. The statement said Zinn, as well as a second person taken into custody and released after interrogation, has "no current ties to the shooting."
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