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Do posts about the missing hiker "Sara Jenkins" on social media tell the true story of the discovery of that person's remains? No, that's not true: No credible media organizations reported that. Lead Stories found no court records confirming any part of the story circulating on social media platforms. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on…

Did U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz paint over graffiti which said, "Release the Epstein Files"? No, that's not true: The image has been edited. The original image was shared on social media by Cruz and showed him painting over graffiti that said "F--- Charlie Kirk". The altered image appeared in a post (archived here) published on X by @acnewsitics on Sept.…

Is it public knowledge that author J.K. Rowling has cancer? No, that's not true: There have been no official announcements or evidence-based reporting that Rowling has cancer. The viral rumor on social media appears to have started with a sarcastic joke made at the author's expense. An example of the baseless claim about Rowling's health can be seen in a…

Is this a real video of Presiden Trump saying the far right doesn't exist and that "the left" is "poking a sleeping bear with sticks" in remarks on Charlie Kirk's death? No, that's not true: The viral clip contained AI generated sound that doesn't match the original footage published by the White House and was published by an account the…

Is this a real video of President Trump calling people who say both sides are bad "spineless cowards" and threatening them with "Alligator Alcatraz"? No, that's not true: The audio portion of the clip was generated using AI tools according to specialized detection software. The video was published by an account that says it publishes satire and it has an…

Does an image on social media platforms really show the bullet casing inscribed with 'Notices bulges OWO' found after the fatal shooting of activist Charlie Kirk in Utah? No, that's not true: The picture in question did not come from investigators, authorities or credible media organizations. Three online detectors determined that the image was likely created by AI and the…

Did a man named Damien Slash get fired from a job at Microsoft over comments he made on Bluesky about the killing of Charlie Kirk as he explained in a viral video? No, that's not true: The man with the nose ring who said he worked for six years building the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department is actually a comedian.…

Did Paul McCartney hold one minute of silence for Charlie Kirk and the victims of 9/11 during a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York? No, that's not true: The story was made up by a Facebook page and website managed by someone in Vietnam. No such concert was listed on the website of the venue and the story…

Did the media report Charlie Kirk was shot dead by an iGaming influencer named Felix Roemer? No, that's not true: That story originated on a website that published nothing but made up stories about a man named "Felix Roemer". The Instagram account connected to the site has a disclaimer that reads "all articles are satire" and the website itself renounces…

Does a viral video really show "Charlie Kirk's real shooter escaping" as some posts on social media claim? No, that's not true: The video was filmed over a month before Charlie Kirk was shot, hundreds of miles away from Utah Valley University. It shows the aftermath of a different shooting in Reno, Nevada. The video appeared in a post on…