False flag conspiracy theories swirl around White House Correspondents' Dinner attack
President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Saturday after the shooting at the correspondents' dinner as embattled FBI Director Kash Patel looks on. Photo by Jose Luis Magana / Associated Press
NBC News
A flood of misinformation, conspiracy theories and false claims about the shooting at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents' Association dinner spread online at a notable and concerningly speedy rate, mostly about the baseless theory that the incident had been staged.
The speculation on social media began to swirl within minutes of the first reports of shots fired, picking up steam throughout Sunday despite journalists — the vast majority of the gala’s attendees — and authorities quickly releasing verified and evidence-backed information about the suspect.
There is no evidence that Saturday night’s incident was staged. Authorities have released ample evidence that Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, rushed the event while armed and was stopped by law enforcement. A senior administration official said the suspect's brother told authorities that Cole Allen had sent him and other family members writings displaying anti-Trump sentiment prior to the incident.
ADDITIONAL MISINFORMATION COVERAGE OF THE EVENT
The Associated Press: Reporters covered the correspondents’ dinner shooting in real time. Conspiracy theories still spread
Politifact: Fact-checking falsehoods after shooting in hotel hosting correspondents’ dinner Trump attended
The New York Times: Rumors and Speculation Swirl Online After Shooting at Washington Dinner
The Washington Post: First came the shooting. Then, the conspiracy theories.
KTVU-TV Fox 2 San Francisco: Misinformation swirls online following White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting
ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT
