Canadian Misidentified as Charlie Kirk Shooter: What’s True, What’s False
- staysafevancouver
- 47 minutes ago
- 4 min read
What We Know So Far
False claim: 77-year-old Michael Mallinson of Toronto was falsely named online as the shooter.
Confirmed suspect: Police have identified Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah as the man charged in Charlie Kirk’s killing.
The incident: Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead on Sept. 10 during an event at Utah Valley University.
Fact checks: AFP, Al Jazeera, and Global News confirmed Mallinson had no involvement.
Impact: Mallinson says he deleted his social media accounts after abusive messages.
Canadian Misidentified as Charlie Kirk Shooter
Toronto retiree Michael Mallinson, 77, was at home with his wife on September 10 when Charlie Kirk was shot in Utah. He says they had been running errands at Yorkdale Mall earlier in the day before returning home, where he took a nap.
When he woke, his daughter was on the phone, panicked and telling him to delete his social media accounts.
“I was quite alarmed,” Mallinson told CTV News. “You never want to have your name out and about.”
Mallinson soon learned that an old photo of him, taken from a deleted X account, had been circulated online and tied to false claims that he was the shooter.
The posts, some coming from impersonation accounts, spread rapidly and were shared thousands of times.
The retiree, who spends his time rowing and working with patient advocacy groups for axial spondylarthritis, said the accusations left him shaken. He and his family began receiving abusive messages, including Facebook comments calling him “all sorts of names.”
He told CTV News that while he initially hoped the rumor would fade, he feared for his safety once his photo became widely linked to the killing. “Ultimately, yes,” Mallinson said when asked if he felt in danger.
“Once something is up on social media, it’s very hard to get rid of.”
The ordeal forced him to deactivate his Facebook, Instagram, and Threads accounts, cutting him off from advocacy groups he had been part of. “I was pretty loathed to delete myself from Facebook and sever those relationships without being able to tell them why,” he added.
Fact-Checking the Claims
AFP Fact Check called the accusations “entirely false.”
Al Jazeera documented how the false posts gained traction before being debunked.
Global News confirmed Mallinson’s alibi and interviewed him directly.
Why It Matters
Wrongful identifications after major crimes are not new, but they carry serious risks. The case of a Canadian misidentified as Charlie Kirk shooter shows how quickly false claims can spread before police release verified details.
In the hours after Kirk’s killing, social media users circulated the name and photograph of Toronto retiree Michael Mallinson, presenting him as the gunman before authorities had confirmed a suspect. Fact-checkers later debunked the claim, and investigators have since arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah.
For Mallinson, the impact was immediate. He told Canadian media he was “shocked and horrified” to wake up to messages accusing him of being a political assassin.
He received abusive messages online, saw his photograph tied to false political narratives, and ultimately deleted his social media accounts out of concern for his safety and reputation.
Experts say such cases illustrate a recurring pattern: in the gap before official information is released, misinformation spreads quickly and can permanently damage the lives of those wrongly named.
Similar incidents have followed other high-profile crimes, such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, when innocent people were misidentified online, and the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, when false names circulated widely.
Beyond individual harm, false identifications can also mislead the public and complicate investigations. Law enforcement officials warn that speculation distracts from credible leads, while false narratives continue to linger online long after they have been disproven.
Wrongful identifications after major crimes are not new, but they carry serious risks. In the hours after Charlie Kirk’s killing, social media users circulated the name and photograph of Toronto retiree Michael Mallinson, presenting him as the gunman before police had confirmed a suspect.
Fact-checkers later debunked the claim, and authorities have since arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah.
For Mallinson, the impact was immediate. He told Canadian media he was “shocked and horrified” to wake up to messages accusing him of being a political assassin.
He received abusive messages online, saw his photograph tied to false political narratives, and ultimately deleted his social media accounts out of concern for his safety and reputation.
Experts say such cases illustrate a recurring pattern: in the gap before official information is released, misinformation spreads quickly and can permanently damage the lives of those wrongly named.
Similar incidents have followed other high-profile crimes, such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, when innocent people were misidentified online, and the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, when false names circulated widely.
Beyond individual harm, false identifications can also mislead the public and complicate investigations. Law enforcement officials warn that speculation distracts from credible leads, while false narratives continue to linger online long after they have been disproven.
What’s Next
With 22-year-old Tyler Robinson now in custody, investigators in Utah are continuing to gather evidence linking him to Charlie Kirk’s killing. Police have cited surveillance footage, digital messages, and a Mauser rifle recovered near the scene, but they have not released a full statement on his motive.
Court proceedings in the months ahead are expected to clarify the timeline and Robinson’s intentions.
For Michael Mallinson, the Canadian retiree wrongly named as the shooter, the focus is on moving past the false accusations. He has described receiving abusive messages and deleting his social media accounts after his photo and name circulated widely.
He said he may consider suing people or websites who circulated the falsehood if the ordeal continued.
Comments