FACT CHECK: Did CNN Report Apalachee School Shooter Was Frustrated By ‘Lack Of Trans Acceptance’?
A post shared on social media purports that the Apalachee School shooter was frustrated about the “lack of trans acceptance.”
So apparently, Colt Gray sh*t up his school over a “lack of trans acceptance” – CNN
He was part of the LGBTQ community
How long until we start holding public schools accountable for their own mess they create? pic.twitter.com/D2BGBFgyav
— Chris Tubbs (@thechristubbs) September 6, 2024
Verdict: Misleading
Gray had expressed “frustration that transgender people were being accepted in society,” according to a CNN article.
Fact Check:
The National Threat Operations Center at the Federal Bureau of Investigation did alert local police about Colt Gray, the suspect involved in the Apalachee School shooting, nearly a year ago, BBC News reported. Law enforcement received an anonymous tip in May 2023 about Gray after he made online posts that worried investigators of a school shooting.
A post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, alleges CNN reported that the Apalachee High School shooter Colt Gray claimed his motive for the attack was due to a “lack of trans acceptance.” The post shared an image of Gray and one of two young girls at a memorial.
“So apparently, Colt Gray sh*t up his school over a ‘lack of trans acceptance’ – CNN,” the post reads. “He was part of the LGBTQ community. How long until we start holding public schools accountable for their own mess they create?”
The claim is inaccurate. There is no record of this report of CNN’s website. Likewise, this report is not found on any of CNN’s social media accounts.
CNN did report that on Discord, a messaging app, Gray shared his “frustration that transgender people were being accepted in society,” according to CNN. The suspect was called “gay” and his father claims the child was “going through a lot” when previously questioned by the police, according to The New York Post. (RELATED: Does This Image Show The Suspect In The Recent Georgia Shooting?)
Check Your Fact contacted CNN for comment.
This is not the first time misinformation has circulated online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a claim that an Instagram post showed the legitimate X profile of the suspect in the Georgia school shooting.
