Misinformation Surge Follows Tumbler Ridge Mass Shooting, Spreading Hateful Narratives
When official details about the suspect in a mass shooting are delayed, people often rush to fill the information void, leading to rapid spread of posts that ignite broad debates on topics like mental health, gun control, and gender. The Tumbler Ridge mass shooting not only devastated a community but also sparked a flurry of false information online, sweeping up innocent individuals and leaving some struggling to cope, according to experts.
False Identifications and Online Harassment
Canada's second-deadliest shooting on Tuesday resulted in eight fatalities and two serious injuries, primarily at a school. Police identified the shooter as 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, who died by suicide. Hours after the RCMP confirmed this identity on Wednesday, social media platforms were flooded with false images and misattributed accounts, wrongly identifying other people as the shooter.
For one Ontario woman, living thousands of kilometres from the British Columbia crime scene, the online battering became all too real. Her photograph circulated widely on social media, with hundreds of posts falsely claiming she was responsible for the mass murder and including disparaging comments. Influencers and some news outlets amplified the image before corrections were issued, but by then, the damage was already done.
The innocent woman's mother told Agence France-Presse that her daughter was "devastated" by the situation, afraid to go outside after being misidentified. This case highlights the severe personal impact of misinformation in the aftermath of tragic events.
Official Warnings and Hateful Narratives
British Columbia's human rights commissioner has issued a statement calling attention to the dangers of such misinformation. "Horrific incidents like this make us all search for answers; 'How do we prevent this from happening again?' If we are to come up with answers that actually make us safer, we must uncover and rely on real facts, not disinformation," said Kasari Govender.
Govender confirmed that some misinformation circulating online about the shooter has been used alongside "hateful narratives." For instance, Elon Musk, owner of X, shared multiple posts to his 234 million followers that claimed transgender people are more likely to carry out mass shootings. In response, Govender noted, "When we look at the data, it tells us a different story. Trans people are substantially more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators of violent crimes and make up far less than one per cent of mass shooters in the U.S."
Impersonation and Corrected Reports
Disinformation about Van Rootselaar did not stop there. A social media account on X, believed to belong to her, was widely shared and used to speculate about possible motives and ideology. The Anti-Defamation League, a U.S.-based civil rights and advocacy organization, cited the profile in a preliminary report, stating it appeared the shooter had an interest in "gore, guns and white supremacy."
However, the account was later determined to have been created by an impersonator. The ADL issued a correction on Thursday, saying, "Upon further investigation, that X account has been found not credible." This incident underscores the challenges in verifying information during fast-moving crises and the potential for false narratives to gain traction before being debunked.
The surge of misinformation following the Tumbler Ridge shooting illustrates how digital platforms can amplify harmful content, affecting both public discourse and individual lives. As communities grapple with the aftermath, the need for accurate information and responsible reporting becomes increasingly critical to prevent further harm and foster constructive dialogue on complex issues.
