FACT CHECK: No, Fox News Did Not Air A Darkened Photo Of The Alleged Atlanta Shooter
A post shared on Twitter purports Fox News aired a darkened photo of alleged Atlanta shooter Deion Patterson.
On the left is Deaon Patterson, the active shooter at large in Atlanta.
On the right is Deaon Patterson on Fox News this evening. pic.twitter.com/Frf6ne1TIW
— David (@ahzoov) May 3, 2023
Verdict: False
The original, unedited photo appeared in a May 3 Twitter post the network shared about the shooting. A Fox News spokesperson also denied the network aired the photo in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Police arrested Patterson, a 24-year-old former Coast Guardsman on May 3 in connection with a shooting that occurred at an Atlanta medical practice, according to The Associated Press. Patterson allegedly shot five women, killing one of them, local outlet Fox 5 Atlanta reported.
The post includes two side-by-side photos of Patterson, with the one on the right being darkened. “On the left is Deaon Patterson, the active shooter at large in Atlanta. On the right is Deaon Patterson on Fox News this evening,” the Twitter post, which has been viewed over 500,000 times, purports.
The claim is false. The original, unedited photo appeared in a May 3 Twitter post the network shared about the shooting.
The tweet also includes a link to a story about the shooting published on Fox News’ website. The original, unedited photo of Patterson appears in the story. The image was supplied by the Atlanta Police Department.
DEVELOPING: Suspected gunman on the loose in Atlanta after an active shooter situation inside a building left at least one person dead and four others injured, authorities said. https://t.co/SXj9Y4KgU5 pic.twitter.com/d327ma9EMq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 3, 2023
Furthermore, Patterson’s first name is misspelled in the Twitter post that makes the claim, which draws its legitimacy into question. (RELATED: No, Fox News Did Not Air A Story About A Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich Amidst The Louisville Shooting)
Likewise, there are no credible news reports indicating Fox News published the darkened photo of Patterson. In addition, the darkened photo can neither be found on the network’s website nor on its verified social media accounts.
“This photo was never broadcasted. The claim is false,” a Fox News spokesperson denied the network aired the photo in an email to Check Your Fact.
This is not the first time a false image of the suspect has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim allegedly showing another man who was incorrectly tagged as the suspect in the shooting.
