News outlets reported that the Nashville bomber died of COVID-19.
Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
The man behind the Nashville bombing was killed in the blast. No news outlet said he died from COVID
If Your Time is short
-
Anthony Warner, the man behind the Dec. 25 bombing in downtown Nashville, Tenn., was killed in the blast, according to investigators.
-
The screengrab of a doctored CNN chyron containing this claim comes from a satirical news website.
The man behind the Dec. 25 bombing in downtown Nashville, Tenn., died of COVID-19, according to a popular — and wrong — Facebook post.
The post displays a headline from a fabricated story by the Genesius Times, a satirical news website, that reads: "BREAKING: Nashville Bomber died from COVID-19 shortly after blowing himself up."
Below the headline is an image that looks like it’s a picture from a CNN broadcast, with chyron that announces the Nashville bomber "died from COVID."
The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Featured Fact-check
Some users seemed to recognize the story as fake, but others didn’t. So we will clear it up: It’s fake.
Sign up for PolitiFact texts
CNN didn’t report that Anthony Warner, the person authorities have identified as the bomber, died from COVID-19. Warner died in the blast, according to authorities.
Breaking news meme generators are frequently used online to create fabricated headlines and chyrons such as this one. The Genesius Times describes itself as the "most reliable source of fake news on the planet" and that it strives "to provide the most up-to-date, accurate fake news on the Internet," the website says.
This screengrab is being shared on social media without that context. We rate this post Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Facebook post, Dec. 29, 2020
Genesius Times, BREAKING: Nashville Bomber died from COVID-19 shortly after blowing himself up, Dec. 28, 2020
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Samantha Putterman
The man behind the Nashville bombing was killed in the blast. No news outlet said he died from COVID
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.