Here's The Misinformation Going Around About The Alexandria Shooting

This is what to look out for.

A gunman opened fire as Republican members of Congress were practicing at baseball fields in Alexandria, Virginia, early Wednesday morning. Five people were injured, including Republican Rep. Steve Scalise, an aid, a lobbyist, and two police officers. Here's all the misinformation spreading about the attack.

1. Sam Hyde (below) is not the shooter. There have been many instances of people falsely attributing an attack to Hyde, who is a comedian.

SHOOTER FOUND AND NAMED AS SAM HYDE #shooting #Alexandria

This tweet posted photos of Sam Hyde and and a doctored CNN report identifying him as the shooter. However, in the Alexandria shooting, police have identified the suspect as 66-year-old James T. Hodgkinson or of Belleville, Ill.

2. There's no evidence the attack was "media-inspired."

3. Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch did not call for "more blood in the streets."

Flashback: Loretta Lynch: "We Need More Blood on the Streets" #Alexandria https://t.co/BjUdfstHuH

This old video of Loretta Lynch was taken out of context by numerous outlets, which say the former Attorney General called for "more blood in the streets."

4. The shooter did not hold up a sign with Sen. Rand Paul's tweet printed on it.

The original, undated, image shows Hodgkinson holding a "Tax the Rich" sign.

The suspected gunman in the Virginia shooting was distraught over the election of Trump, his brother said… https://t.co/OjMvbHPfxL

5. In fact, the Rand Paul tweet is being widely taken out of context. Many Twitter users are implying that the tweet from a year ago was the senator inciting violence.

And hyperpartisan news outlets have seized on it.

The tweet was actually one of the senator's staffers livetweeting a speech, not Paul's own words. Earlier tweets from that day show more of the speech as well as an introduction of the speaker.

It's a great day when I can welcome @Judgenap to address the next generation of Liberty lovers!

"Senator Paul never said those words," Sergio Gor, the communications director for the senator, told BuzzFeed News. "The tweet you reference was part of live tweeting of someone else’s speech and it was done by a staffer."

6. A Twitter account with hundreds of retweets is claiming to show the moment of the shooting, but *clicking play on* the video opens an advertisement.

7. Radio show host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones said CNN "endorsed" the attack, but that is not true.

BREAKING: CNN just endorsed #GOPShooting terrorist attack! Said shooter "was not evil..." Tune in NOW: https://t.co/OQtch0tDED

People on Twitter quickly pointed out that the "he wasn't evil" quote Jones is referring to came from the shooter's friend, who CNN interviewed.

@RealAlexJones No. CNN didn't say it. **The shooter's friend** said it in video aired by CNN. Jesus, you are an opp… https://t.co/WeTBVPsw3N

8. Fox News reported on air and posted a false and since-removed story that Rep. Roger Williams was also shot in Alexandria.

This is a developing story, check back here and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter for updates.

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