Within hours of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, social media users circulated misleading visuals and accounts to falsely claim there was a second gunman atop a water tower at the rally venue.
The conspiracy was one of several that gained traction online in the aftermath of the attack, as people filled an information vacuum with unfounded claims and speculation. Secret Service agents shot and killed the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, almost immediately after he fired at Trump shortly after 6 p.m. on Saturday.
There is no evidence of a second shooter. Reports from local law enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service, journalists at the event, eye witnesses and hundreds of hours of social media video show there was one gunman at the event, who was located on a roof close to the tower.
However, …