The Nashville school shooting has led to a surge of false information online, including numerous misleading pictures claiming to depict Audrey Hale that were widely circulated after the incident.
Among these was a photo of an unidentified protester holding a sign supporting transgender rights with a menacing message, which was later revealed to have no connection to the tragedy at all.
The attack has revealed conflicting opinions on gun control, healthcare, and civil rights, with the White House advocating for an “assault weapons ban.”
Simultaneously, some conservative commentators questioned the use of gender-affirming medication – although these claims remain unverified.
In times like these, it is essential to be mindful of the information being shared, trusted, and believed, as it can potentially lead to further misconceptions and misrepresentations.
A post by the Chicago Patriots account falsely asserted that a woman holding a sign reading “TRANS RIGHTS…OR ELSE,” accompanied by images of five different firearms, was the Nashville shooter, causing quite a commotion.
Rumors about controversial comedian Sam Hyde being the unnamed shooter further complicated the situation, although these allegations were later debunked.
This compelled the Chicago Patriots to issue a retraction and call for “wholesome trans people” to speak out against “the radical trans,” i.e., the person holding the sign in the original photo.
This is yet another instance of an excessive amount of information being disseminated without proper verification and underscores the need for accurate reporting during such tragedies.
In 2015, users on 4chan began sharing photos of Mark Hyde on social media and incorrectly attributing him to several mass shootings, leading to the belief that he was the perpetrator.
The meme gained widespread attention in October of that year when CNN mistakenly displayed his picture in coverage of an Oregon college shooter.
Since then, Hyde’s image has been mistakenly associated with other shootings, such as those in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs.
The most recent incident involving Hyde occurred in 2022 when Payton Gendron, an alleged white nationalist, included a picture of Hyde in his manifesto before carrying out an attack in which 10 Black people were tragically killed.
It is unclear why Gendron chose to include Hyde’s photo; however, what can be inferred is that this erroneous meme has deeply permeated society and continues to persist even today.
In response to the dreadful Nashville school attack, Ron Filipkowski, a Twitter user with over 700,000 followers, commented on the widespread circulation of the Hyde meme across right-wing social media.
His tweet states: “They just inundate the area with b*. This has been all over right-wing social media this afternoon.”
His message serves as a urgent reminder of how potentially harmful and damaging memes can be if left unchecked.
In the wake of this tragedy, it is now more crucial than ever to recognize and reject toxic messages propagated by those on the right who may seek to incite hatred or promote extreme views.
