A post on X claims that internet personality and comedian Sam Hyde was identified as the shooter in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

🚨BREAKING🚨 UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter identified as Samuel Hyde. NYPD has put out an APB to apprehend him. Do NOT approach, suspect is armed and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/tHhTHU4oEU

— David Santa Carla 🦇 (@TheOnlyDSC) December 5, 2024

Verdict: False

Sam Hyde is a comedian and internet personality. He has been the subject of a long-running meme falsely linking him to numerous incidents.

Fact Check:

Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, was shot in the back and killed by an unnamed, masked assassin in New York City daylight on December 4 as he was heading to a shareholder conference. The killing sparked a regional manhunt for the suspect that lasted over five days, according to Fox News.

A post on X claims that police once identified the shooter shortly after the crime. It claims that they fingered “Samuel Hyde” as the assassin, and that the NYPD warned not to approach him as he is considered armed and dangerous. The attached photo appears to show an image of the alleged suspect.

This is false, however. Authorities never claimed that the aforementioned person was ever considered of interest. Furthermore, Hyde is a comedian and internet personality, and his face was photoshopped onto surveillance footage of the shooter to make it seem legitimate. Sam Hyde is frequently linked to crimes as part of an internet meme, and Check Your Fact has debunked claims made about him in the past. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Photo Shows Comedian, Not Gunman Involved In Moscow Terrorist Attack)

Authorities have since arrested a suspect following the attack. Luigi Mangione, a 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested at a Pennsylvania McDonalds on December 9th and is currently awaiting hearings at publishing time.

This story was first reported by Lead Stories.