“Michigan State University suspect is 22-year-old ‘Raymone Jordan.’”
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Mourners attend a candlelight vigil for Alexandria Verner at the Clawson High School football field in Clawson, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. Verner was among the students killed by a gunman at Michigan State University Monday night. (AP)
Social media posts falsely name 22-year-old as Michigan gunman. Police say it was Anthony McRae, 43
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University police identified the gunman in the Feb. 13 Michigan State University shooting as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae.
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McRae is believed to have acted alone. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound following a confrontation with law enforcement.
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The photo linked to the supposed shooter is fake. It is an altered photo of YouTuber Jordie Jordan.
On Feb. 13, a shooting at Michigan State University killed three people and critically injured five. Posts on social media claim to show the suspect of the shooting.
A screenshot of a tweet was used in two Facebook posts on Feb. 13 and 14, naming the suspect as "Raymone Jordan."
"#BREAKING Michigan State University SUSPECT is 22 year old ‘Raymone Jordan’ 5’7, 287lbs, also known as ‘Jordie’ according to dispatch audio. He is still on at large and on the loose ARMED and DANGEROUS," the tweet read.
The posts were flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook.)
These posts are incorrect. Authorities on Feb. 14 identified the gunman as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, who was believed to be acting alone and was not affiliated with the university. Michigan State University Police and Public Safety said he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
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Reuters also fact-checked this claim and found that the face of an unidentified man was edited onto a photo of a YouTuber named Jordie Jordan. Jordan’s photo has been used in other false claims following breaking news events, as fact-checked by Reuters and PolitiFact.
PolitiFact previously found False another claim misidentifying the shooter as a 21-year-old named "Lynn Dee Walker." Those posts contained similar wording and also attributed the information to dispatch audio.
Our ruling
Social media posts named a 22-year-old man named Raymone Jordan as the suspect for the Feb. 13 shooting at Michigan State University.
University police have identified the gunman as 43-year-old Anthony Dwayne McRae, who is believed to have acted alone. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being confronted by law enforcement.
The photo used in the claim is of YouTuber Jordie Jordan, and has been repeatedly used in other false claims following breaking news events.
We rate this claim False.
Our Sources
PolitiFact, Michigan State University gunman was 43-year-old Anthony McRae, not a 21-year-old named ‘Lynn’, Feb. 14, 2023
Michigan State University Police, Twitter post, Feb. 13, 2023
NPR, 3 students and a suspect are dead after Michigan State University shooting, Feb. 14, 2023
Reuters, Fact Check-Michigan State University shooter is misidentified online, Feb. 14, 2023
Reuters, Fact Check-Fabricated story about a journalist killed in Kabul, Aug. 18, 2021
PolitiFact, No, CNN didn’t report that the same man died in Afghanistan and Uvalde, May 27, 2022
Lead Stories, Fact Check: 'Lynn Dee Walker' Is NOT Michigan State University Shooter -- Other Fake Names & Photos Circulating Too, Feb. 14, 2023
Twitter post, Feb. 13, 2023
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Social media posts falsely name 22-year-old as Michigan gunman. Police say it was Anthony McRae, 43
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