After Park Avenue Shooting, Anti-Muslim Disinformation Spread Rapidly
In the first hours after the shooting at 345 Park Avenue in Manhattan, when it was still unclear what exactly had happened, disinformation swirled on social media. Photo by Dakota Santiago for The New York Times
The New York Times
From the moment the news broke of a mass shooting on Park Avenue on Monday, misinformation careened through social media, declaring the massacre an act of Islamic terrorism or blaming Zohran Mamdani, who is seeking to become the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Mr. Mamdani’s surprise victory in the Democratic primary last month, coming from the far left, stirred up anti-Muslim animus not just in New York but also in pockets nationwide.
The right-wing agitator Laura Loomer, who has promoted numerous conspiracy theories — and who has become a confidante of President Trump — led the charge in blaming Mr. Mamdani for the attack, in which a gunman killed a police officer and three other people before shooting himself.
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