2024-07-30 18:05:01
Unverified rumours about the attack circulate onlinepublished at 12:17
By Shayan Sardarizadeh
Almost immediately after the deadly stabbing attack in
Southport, baseless rumours began spreading online.
While police and emergency services were still responding to the
attack, a widely shared LinkedIn post claimed without evidence that “a
migrant” was responsible.
But the most viral source of rumours so far has been a
report published on an obscure US-based website which claims to cover
“breaking news”.
The report falsely claims that that the 17-year
old suspect is an “asylum seeker” named “Ali
Al-Shakati”, who “arrived in the UK by boat last year”.
Merseyside Police has confirmed that the suspect was born in
Cardiff, and has yet to identify the 17-year-old.
The report also adds that the suspect was “on
the MI6 watch list”, despite the fact that it is MI5, not MI6, that deals
with domestic counter-terrorism cases.
The name “Ali Al-Shakati” has since been widely shared
online in posts viewed by millions.
Some other outlets, including Russia’s RT news channel, have
also reported this name, citing the US-based website.
Other variations of the report, including the claim that the
suspect was a “Channel migrant”, have also been widely circulated.
