The internet is a double-edged sword. It brings people together and makes the world smaller, but it also is a distractor and is permeated with lies and pranks by bad actors.
Unfortunately, tragedies often attract such people and hoaxes abound. Less than 24 hours after the Las Vegas shooting ended, there are dozens if not hundreds of hoaxes being passed around the internet.
Many are sick and disgusting in the way they minimize the impact of those who are still anxiously attempting to contact their loved ones who were in Las Vegas last night.
Here are just a few examples.
Twitter accounts posted photos of public figures, tweeting them out as fake missing persons among the Las Vegas concertgoers.
Accounts began circulating this image as that of the shooter when in actuality it’s comedian, Sam Hyde.
As noted by BuzzFeed, this photo is Lil Terio, star of the now-defunct platform, Vine.
Far-right nut jobs took off running with the idea the shooter was a recent convert to Islam and ISIS with no proof.
Shooting victims everywhere. Shots fired at Mandalay, Trop, Bellagio, NYNY, Luxor, Hooters, Stratosphere. This is real thing. Muslim terror.
— Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) October 2, 2017
This is real thing. Clearly coordinated Muslim terror attack. PRAY for our Vegas police. PRAY for victims. VERY bad. Awful.
— Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) October 2, 2017
And hitting “Publish” on literal fake news.
You can see more hoaxes being played on the unsuspecting masses here.
Twitter seems to be catching up with many of the hoax-creating accounts as they have since been suspended. But as we all know, when one social media account gets suspended there are more to take its place.
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