Sam Hyde

Is the name of a suspect in the Graz shooting Samuel Haider? No, that's not true: A viral post recycled the meme in circulation since 2015 that casts the comedian Sam Hyde as an attacker after mass shootings in the U.S. or abroad. No credible media organization reported that anyone named "Samuel Haider" was connected to the events in Graz.…

Does an authentic photo of Shiloh Hendrix show her holding a handwritten card that reads: "$250K You Niggers"? No, that's not true: The photo, of the Minnesota woman who was videotaped shouting the n-word at a child, is predated by a version of the same photo in which the card she holds reads: "@AngloSaxonGirl". An AI detection tool found there…

Does video of a night air raid document India's May 6, 2025 attack on Punjab Province in Pakistan and Pakistan's portion of Kashmir, as was claimed on social media? No, that's not true: The clip exactly matches video posted to YouTube October 23, 2023, long before India's ballistic missile attack. In the original posted version of the video, multiple accounts…

Is a man named Samuel Hyde the suspected shooter at the shooting at Florida State University on April 17, 2025? No, that's not true: Comedian Sam Hyde is often named as the perpetrator by internet trolls whenever a mass-casualty incident happens. It is a bizarre in-joke that has been going on for years, often using variations of his name to…

Did Gene Hackman vow to "corroborate everything in the Epstein client list" in an X.com post a year before his death? No, that's not true: The user name seen in the purported February 2024 tweet does not exist and there is no indication online the 95-year-old actor was active on the social media platform in recent years. While no "client…

Was Samuel Hydén (or Sam Hyde) the perpetrator of a school shooting in Örebro, Sweden, on February 4, 2025? No, that's not true: Comedian Sam Hyde is often named as the perpetrator by internet trolls whenever a mass-casualty incident happens. It is a bizarre in-joke that has been going on for years, often using variations of his name to make…

Was Samir El Hydeouchi identified as the suspect in the December 20, 2024, vehicular attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany? No, that's not true: At the time this fact check was written, the suspect was taken into custody and a German official has stated the driver of the car, who was not named, was a Saudi national, a…

Did police identify Samuel Hyde as the shooter at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin? No, that's not true: At a press conference on December 16, 2024, the Madison police chief identified the shooter as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow "who went by the name Samantha." Since 2015, internet trolls have recycled a hoax claiming that "Sam Hyde is the…

Was Samuel Hyde named as the suspect in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO? No, that's not true: Sam, or Samuel, Hyde is a comedian whose name and likeness have been the subject of internet memes associated with shootings since 2015. One of the photos of a person of interest released by the New York Police Department was edited to…

Does an image on social media authentically show Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a ventilator in a hospital? No, that's not true: The picture shows a person with a differently shaped ear. Lead Stories analysis found other inconsistencies that strongly suggested digital manipulation. The image has been on social media since at least 2023. The picture reappeared in a…