Gun Violence

Does an image show the White House just "turned all red" and is this cause for a "major alert" somehow? No, that's not true: the photo used in a viral social media post is a screencap from a 2022 video. That footage showed the White House lit in orange to "raise gun violence awareness" on National Gun Violence Awareness Day.…

Does a viral post show an Australian man being arrested for trying to take AU$5,000 from his bank account at a Commonwealth Bank branch in a suburb of Sydney? No, that's not true: Police records show the man was arrested for behaving offensively in public, not for any financial crime. He was also charged with hindering officers who tried to…

Did FSU News report alleged Florida State University shooter Phoenix Ikner participated in an anti-Trump rally? No, that's not true: The now deleted section of the article that mentions and quotes Ikner is about "onlookers" who showed up at the protest. The article quotes him as saying "These people are usually pretty entertaining, usually not for good reasons" when talking…

Is there an actual Portland, Oregon, nonprofit group named "Unpull the Trigger" that plans to buy each Black man in America an AR-15 rifle to scare Republicans into supporting gun control? No, that's not true: The story appeared on an X account that described the story as "satire". There is no organization by that name although there was a 2006…

Can a person get a concealed carry gun permit 100 percent online by just answering six simple questions? No, that's not true: To get the promoted New Hampshire Non-resident Pistol/Revolver License, the customer must still fill out the application and pay for one. Ads promising a Concealed Carry Permit "100% online" are misleading, actually offering an unnecessary "pre-qualifying" service. The…

Are Progress 2028 ads on Facebook authentic ads supporting Kamala Harris' presidential campaign? No, that's not true: These ads are not affiliated with the campaign or its supporters; instead, a conservative group paid for them to misrepresent her stance on controversial issues like gun buy-back programs and fracking. A Harris campaign aide told Lead Stories that Progress 2028's ads lie…

Does a video show Mongols and Hells Angels members heading to Colorado in 2024 to "deal with" Venezuelan gang members? No, that's not true: The original video is at least 14 years old. The video was previously used in 2020 to claim Hells Angels and Mongols members were heading to Seattle to confront antifa followers, and was fact checked by…

Does a video on Instagram Threads show Hells Angels and other motorcycle clubs going to Aurora, Colorado, to fight a Venezuelan gang after violence was reported in August 2024? No, that's not true: The video was first posted to TikTok in November 2022 -- nearly two years before media reported gang violence in Aurora. The video's original poster clarified on…

Does a video on Instagram show Hells Angels going to Aurora, Colorado, to fight members of a Venezuelan gang after gang-related violence was reported in August 2024? No, that's not true: The video was first posted to TikTok on July 7, 2024, more than a month before local media reported gang violence in Aurora. Elements in the video and on…

Did a viral video authentically document enforcing COVID-19 lockdowns in Minnesota in 2020 on orders of Gov. Tim Walz? No, that's not true: The video showing law enforcement using what appear to be paintball guns was taken when state authorities imposed curfews and mobilized the National Guard in response to the aftermath of that year's George Floyd protests. The person…