Charlie Kirk killing: Rumors, misinformation rampant on social media

Confusion and conspiracy theories spread online after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a university appearance in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday. As the manhunt continued, online speculation, much of it baseless, emerged about the circumstances of the shooting and the identity of the shooter. Online posts also shared fake headlines about the killing, or real headlines with fake timestamps to claim the media had advance knowledge of the plan. And social media users trying to get clarity from AI chatbots found they were misled. Reuters has examined some of the viral rumors, conspiracies, and false information spreading online in the aftermath of Kirk’s death. Video shared online in the aftermath of the shooting shows an older man being...