Who's 'Sahil Omar'? Man falsely linked to Kansas City shooting
What's the story
At least one person was killed and 21 others suffered injuries during a mass shooting in Missouri, United States (US), at the end of the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday. After the incident, three people—including two juveniles— were detained in connection with the shoot. While the police hasn't revealed the names of the detainees, several users online have claimed that an "illegal immigrant Sahil Omar" is one of the suspects. Here's what we know about him.
Misinformation
Fictitious name linked to SuperBowl parade shooting
The Muslim-sounding name "Sahil Omar" and the false "illegal immigrant" designation aren't uncommon on social media. Previously, this name came up in the wake of the blast at the Sandman Hotel in Texas's Fort Worth in January. The same name was also falsely linked to the December 2023 shooting at Las Vegas's University of Nevada and the Rainbow Bridge crash on the US-Canada border in November last year. It is unclear whether someone by the name "Sahil Omar" actually exists.
Fake news
Surge in online posts attributing 'Omar' to attack
The disinformation appears to be aimed at linking immigrants to mass-shootings and crime. A surge of online posts attributing tragedies to "Omar" frequently cite criticism of the US President Joe Biden administration's management of a significant increase in illegal migrant crossings from Mexico. This matter has emerged as a contentious issue leading up to the November US presidential elections. To note, disinformation often follows US mass shootings and other high-profile events.
Mass shooting
What happened at Super Bowl parade
According to reports, the shots were fired west of Union Station, a train station in downtown Kansas City. A crowd of thousands had gathered close to the station for the victory parade. Local reports also said that Kansas City Chiefs players were still on a stage when shots were initially fired. A law enforcement source informed CBS News that the shooting was likely due to a dispute that escalated into violence and clarified that it was not related to terrorism.
Twitter Post
Visuals from the scene of attack
Chaos has broken out at the end of the Chiefs Super Bowl parade. Police and military personnel just took off inside of Union Station pic.twitter.com/mqNeodS9r5
— Jacob Meikel (@NPNOWMeikel) February 14, 2024
Statement
Biden's reaction to Kansas City mass shooting incident
Reacting to the shooting, Biden appealed to all Americans to support his appeal to Congress to ban assault weapons, stating that the deadly shootout at Kansas City "cuts deep." "Today's events should move us, shock us, shame us into acting," said Biden, in a White House statement. "Jill and I pray for those killed and injured...for our country to find the resolve to end the senseless epidemic of gun violence tearing us at the seams," the statement added.