Posted on May 26, 2022
The Uvalde shooting conspiracies show how far-right misinformation is evolving
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https://www.npr.org/2022/05/26/ [login to see] /texas-uvalde-school-shooting-misinformation-conspiracy-far-right
Even before details were known about the shooter who killed 19 children and two school faculty at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, fringe media were awash in rumors, conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Some posts incorrectly identified the shooter, while others posited without evidence that the massacre was a government-orchestrated "false flag" operation.
With the tragic events following closely on the heels of another mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., the online discussions reverted to unfounded narratives and scapegoats that have become all too familiar as the country grapples with the continued toll of gun violence.
"This is the worst case scenario. Without a manifesto and a known motive, the speculation is just going to get worse and worse as to what drove the shooter to do it," said Sara Aniano, an extremism researcher who focuses on the rhetoric of the far right on social media. "But it also provides a really fertile ground for more conspiracy theories to sort of accumulate and spread in the information ecosystem."
Even before details were known about the shooter who killed 19 children and two school faculty at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, fringe media were awash in rumors, conspiracy theories and misinformation.
Some posts incorrectly identified the shooter, while others posited without evidence that the massacre was a government-orchestrated "false flag" operation.
With the tragic events following closely on the heels of another mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., the online discussions reverted to unfounded narratives and scapegoats that have become all too familiar as the country grapples with the continued toll of gun violence.
"This is the worst case scenario. Without a manifesto and a known motive, the speculation is just going to get worse and worse as to what drove the shooter to do it," said Sara Aniano, an extremism researcher who focuses on the rhetoric of the far right on social media. "But it also provides a really fertile ground for more conspiracy theories to sort of accumulate and spread in the information ecosystem."
The Uvalde shooting conspiracies show how far-right misinformation is evolving
Posted from npr.org
Conspiracy Theories
Uvalde
Media
Violence
Social Media
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 4
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The far right is out of control. Now the far right sheep are swimming in misinformation and posting it as truth. Rumble, "truth social", Gab, Parler, Gettr, and more are cesspools of far right misinformation.
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I wonder if he stole money from his grandmother to fund the massacre. That might explain why he shot her but we wont know for sure until she recovers.
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The Sicko Did It and Paid For It , The Only Question I Have is How Did A Part Time Employee at a Wendy’s, Who Lived With His Grandparents, Get The Money To Buy 2 AR-15s , A Bunch of Mag’s and Ammo?
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