A 77-year-old retired banker from Toronto was falsely identified as the suspected shooter in the Charlie Kirk assassination after Americans spread his name and photo across social media platforms following Wednesday's, September 10, attack.
Michael Mallinson learned he had been misidentified when his daughter called at 6 p.m., instructing him to delete his social media accounts because his information was circulating online in connection with the shooting.
Also read: Dean Withers, Charlie Kirk’s rival and liberal commentator's response on his assassination goes viral
"This was all shock and horror, first of all, that there'd been a shooting, but second of all that I was in any way named or implicated in it," said Mallinson, who says he has never been to Utah.
Kirk, a right-wing activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot around 12:20 p.m. local time in Orem, Utah. The state governor called it a political assassination, though no suspect has been formally identified.
The detained person appeared to be an older man wearing glasses and a blue shirt with a haircut similar to Mallinson's in a photo from his old Twitter account, which he believed he had deleted after Elon Musk purchased the platform.
The fake account posted Mallinson's photo as a false close-up of the detained person and named him as the shooter, claiming he was a registered Democrat in Utah. The original post was removed, but other posts sharing the misinformation accumulated thousands of views on X.
Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns the actual Fox channel, said in a statement to CBC Toronto that the post should not be attributed to the station and they were working to get it removed.
"They don't understand how to interpret those results to make sure that they're not being led down the wrong path," said Silverman.
In situations like the Kirk shooting, Silverman said the best approach is to wait and avoid jumping to conclusions before all details are available.
Also read: US threatens action against foreigners praising Charlie Kirk killing
"I received some nasty messages on Facebook, but I also heard from people that I don't know telling me to be warned that my name and face were out there," said Mallinson. "Nevertheless, it's quite alarming that misinformation like this can spread so quickly."
Mallinson's family contacted the Toronto Police Service to alert them to the situation. Officers expressed interest in discussing the case, though Mallinson had not yet connected with an officer.
"I feel violated," said Mallinson. "I've got a lot of friends worldwide on Facebook that I communicate with and I had to deactivate my accounts for a while without really even being able to tell them about anything. And now my wife and I are sending out emails to say, 'Hey, this is my image and name, but it's not me.'"
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Michael Mallinson learned he had been misidentified when his daughter called at 6 p.m., instructing him to delete his social media accounts because his information was circulating online in connection with the shooting.
FBI agents investigate the area at Utah Valley University a day after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, in Orem, Utah, Thursday,, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Also read: Dean Withers, Charlie Kirk’s rival and liberal commentator's response on his assassination goes viral
"This was all shock and horror, first of all, that there'd been a shooting, but second of all that I was in any way named or implicated in it," said Mallinson, who says he has never been to Utah.
Kirk, a right-wing activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot around 12:20 p.m. local time in Orem, Utah. The state governor called it a political assassination, though no suspect has been formally identified.
Fake Fox News account spreads false information
The misinformation campaign began when an account impersonating Fox Reno 11, a Nevada news channel, posted Mallinson's photo alongside an image of a suspect being detained by police after the Kirk shooting.The detained person appeared to be an older man wearing glasses and a blue shirt with a haircut similar to Mallinson's in a photo from his old Twitter account, which he believed he had deleted after Elon Musk purchased the platform.
The fake account posted Mallinson's photo as a false close-up of the detained person and named him as the shooter, claiming he was a registered Democrat in Utah. The original post was removed, but other posts sharing the misinformation accumulated thousands of views on X.
Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns the actual Fox channel, said in a statement to CBC Toronto that the post should not be attributed to the station and they were working to get it removed.
Digital sleuthing gone wrong fuels false accusations
Craig Silverman, co-founder of Indicator, a publication focused on digital deception, said online sleuthing enthusiasts can easily be misled by inaccurate information when trying to identify suspects."They don't understand how to interpret those results to make sure that they're not being led down the wrong path," said Silverman.
In situations like the Kirk shooting, Silverman said the best approach is to wait and avoid jumping to conclusions before all details are available.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, left, speaks with Utah Valley University Chief of Police Jeff Long, right, at a press conference at the Keller Building on the Utah Valley University campus after Charlie Kirk was shot and died during Turning Point's visit to the university, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)
Also read: US threatens action against foreigners praising Charlie Kirk killing
Toronto man receives threats, deactivates social media
Before deactivating his social media accounts, Mallinson received various messages from Americans responding to his supposed involvement in the Charlie Kirk assassination."I received some nasty messages on Facebook, but I also heard from people that I don't know telling me to be warned that my name and face were out there," said Mallinson. "Nevertheless, it's quite alarming that misinformation like this can spread so quickly."
Mallinson's family contacted the Toronto Police Service to alert them to the situation. Officers expressed interest in discussing the case, though Mallinson had not yet connected with an officer.
"I feel violated," said Mallinson. "I've got a lot of friends worldwide on Facebook that I communicate with and I had to deactivate my accounts for a while without really even being able to tell them about anything. And now my wife and I are sending out emails to say, 'Hey, this is my image and name, but it's not me.'"
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