Highland Park shooting wasn’t a 'false flag'

News stories about the July 4 mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois, are still developing but there’s no evidence to support claims that the deadly event was a "false flag" operation staged by Democrats, as some social media posts have suggested. 

"Here we go," one post said. "Folks..this is CLEARLY another op by the Dems." 

"Pray against false flag events today and this month," another said. "Pray they will be stopped and exposed. Pray that the real perpetrators will be caught! #notbuyingtheirlies #falseflags #exposed."

This 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.)

On July 6, prosecutors said the 21-year-old shooting suspect, Robert Crimo III, confessed to firing more than 80 shots from a rooftop during a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Authorities had released the names of seven shooting victims by then. Other people were injured, and reporters have talked to witnesses who survived the attack. 

Dr. David Baum, who was at the parade and helped treat people who were injured in the shooting, told NBC Chicago that he saw several people shot. 

Featured Fact-check

Social Media

stated on October 22, 2024 in social media posts

“Schaumburg, Illinois not recording votes, just putting votes ‘in a box.’”

"The bodies that I saw, it was not an image that anyone who’s not a physician would have an easy time processing," Baum said. 

Gabriella Martinez, who said she saw the gunman on a rooftop, initially thought the gunshots were fireworks. 

"Then literally one second (later) we all started getting into a panic mode," she said.

Claims that this shooting was staged or a "false flag" event is wrong. We rate it Pants on Fire.