A man named ‘Sahil Omar’ is frequently, yet falsely, implicated in various violent incidents in the US, including shootings and explosions. In a recent incident, a shooting occurred at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory celebration in the US, resulting in one fatality and 22 injuries. Following the incident near Kansas City’s Union Station, authorities have apprehended three individuals. However, it’s important to note that ‘Sahil Omar’ has not been identified as a suspect in this case.
Authorities have reported that among the suspects apprehended following the mass shooting, two are juveniles. The identities of these suspects have not been disclosed yet.
"Sahil Omar" is 44, an illegal immigrant and has a Muslim-sounding name — an apparently fictitious punching bag falsely linked to a slew of US crimes including the latest mass shooting in Kansas City 🧵 pic.twitter.com/pIxSZYEAEj
— AFP Fact Check 🔎 (@AFPFactCheck) February 16, 2024
A post on X, claimed that “Sahil Omar, a 44-year-old illegal immigrant, was identified as at least one of the shooters at the Kansas City Chiefs parade.”
There were no reliable sources indicating that Sahil Omar was involved in the shooting.
The practice of attributing a Muslim-like name and falsely labeling as an undocumented immigrant is quite prevalent on social media. The name “Sahil Omar” surfaced following the explosion at the Sandman Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, this past January as well.
The name “Sahil Omar” has been erroneously associated with the Rainbow Bridge crash at the US-Canada border in November 2023 and the shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in December 2023. However, the existence of a real individual named “Sahil Omar” remains uncertain. The spread of such misinformation seems to be an attempt to connect immigrants with mass shootings and criminal activities.
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