Accident – Death – Obituary News : Kansas City Authorities Charge Two Juveniles in Connection with Super Bowl Celebration Shooting
Kansas City authorities have announced charges against two juveniles in connection with the mass shooting that occurred during a Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl celebration. The incident resulted in the death of one woman and left 22 others injured. The 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County’s Juvenile Officer has chosen not to release the names of the suspects, as is customary in juvenile cases. However, this has not stopped false information from spreading on social media.
Several Instagram posts have shared a photo of a man detained by the police and falsely claimed that the suspect’s name is “Sahil Omar.” These posts have also alleged that he is living in the country illegally. One caption accompanying the photo reads, “At least one of Kansas City shooters identified as Sahil Omar, a 44-year-old illegal immigrant. Biden has failed to protect America from an invasion and terrorism.”
State Senator Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville, reshared one of these posts and implored President Joe Biden to “CLOSE THE BORDER!” Another Republican State Senator, Denny Hoskins from Warrensburg, also wrote that “at least one of the alleged shooters is an illegal immigrant.”
It is important to note that the Instagram posts in question have been flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. This particular name, Sahil Omar, has been frequently used as a hoax following mass shootings.
The original photo, taken by Agence France-Presse, did not identify the person detained in the aftermath of the disrupted Kansas City Chiefs victory celebration. Social media posts have previously linked the name Sahil Omar to other fatal incidents in recent months, but these claims have also been proven false.
In November 2023, after a car crashed into a U.S.-Canada border checkpoint, social media posts falsely claimed that it was a terrorist attack by Sahil Omar. The FBI, however, confirmed that no explosions were found and ruled out any terrorist connections.
Similarly, in December 2023, the name Sahil Omar was falsely connected to a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, that resulted in the death of three faculty members. The suspect in that incident was actually identified as Anthony Polito, a 67-year-old business professor, who died in a shootout with the police.
In January, the name Sahil Omar circulated on social media as the suspect behind a hotel explosion in Fort Worth, Texas. However, local fire officials determined that the explosion was likely due to a gas leak.
Based on these findings, we can confidently rate the claim that police arrested a shooting suspect named Sahil Omar as false. This claim is nothing more than a baseless rumor.
In conclusion, it is important to be cautious of false information that spreads rapidly on social media platforms. Verifying the facts before sharing any such claims can help prevent the spread of misinformation and the potential harm it can cause..