FACT CHECK: Viral Photo of Man is Not Trump Rally Shooter
Several social media posts claim that an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, has been linked to Pennsylvania rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks. However, the claim has been proven false as the person in the video and photo is not actually Crooks. The user who uploaded the photo and video claimed they were joke posts. The actual gunman was a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The account linked to Crooks, @jewgazing, was quickly removed and locked after the posts went viral, with the user claiming they were meant as a joke. The misinformation spread rapidly on social media and various media outlets, but the true identity of the shooter was unrelated to the account in question.
Numerous posts circulating on social media claim that an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, has been linked to Pennsylvania rally shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Thomas Matthew Crooks
“I hate trump. I hate republicans.” pic.twitter.com/dEwWOqdPyq
— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) July 14, 2024
Verdict: False
The person in both the video and photo are not actually of Crooks. The user who originally uploaded the photo and video claimed they were joke posts.
Fact Check:
Former President Donald Trump was struck in the ear by a bullet during a rally July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, the New York Times reported. The gunman, since identified as Crooks, was a 20-year-old resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, the outlet reported.
Numerous social media posts have circulated in the wake of the shooting claiming to show the suspected shooter, while some international media outlets also used the photo as well. “I will be shocked if this worm Thomas Matthew Crooks is not some flavor of Leftist Antifa scum,” one post read. “He looks like every other slack-jawed, slope-melon, smooth brain wannabe revolutionary.”
The photo is not of Crooks. the images are of a user on X under the handle @jewgazing. Following the widespread coverage of the post, the account was locked and the tweets were quickly removed. While there are no known archives of the page itself, users who recorded the page show the account user claiming that the posts were a joke and that it was “getting too far.” Another post, showing the user at a theater, appears to match the appearance of the person in the viral photo.
So is @jewgazing just trolling everyone?
I’m confused man.
Is Thomas Mathew Crooks the shooter or not? pic.twitter.com/C1jiC4DaJF
— Dating & Money (@Datingandmoney) July 14, 2024
Yea he’s kicking himself now for pretending to be the guy pic.twitter.com/9HCLV2J4fJ
— 🍓🐦⬛🏴☠️PuckArks🏴☠️🐦⬛🍓 (@IAmPuckArks) July 14, 2024
Mensen die voorbarig snel video’s van ‘de schutter’ delen; die op zijn account @jewgazing loopt te memen hier over. Wat een tijden 🫠. pic.twitter.com/KOUCluTVPT
— Миша (@misjamarije) July 14, 2024
“People who are prematurely quick to share videos of ‘the shooter’; who is memeing about this on his account @jewgazing. What times,” One post translated to.
BBC Verify journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh also posted tweets about the user, stating that the account was “the exact same X user who pretended to be the shooter in an odd trolling attempt.”
This is not a video of the shooter at Trump’s Pennsylvania rally. This is the exact same X user who pretended to be the shooter in an odd trolling attempt.
He posted this video an hour ago and quickly deleted it. It’s now being shared as if it’s a message by the real shooter. https://t.co/ShDpQ1UxzN pic.twitter.com/S5wEqpu0QX
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) July 14, 2024
Check Your Fact has attempted to reach out to the user behind the account. This post will be updated if a comment is received.
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