A slew of verified leftist “blue checks” took to Twitter after the news broke of a mass shooter in Boulder, Colorado, to claim — without evidence — that the suspect was a “white male.” The platform allowed verified users to spread this misinformation without restraint or punishment.
“The Atlanta shooting was not even a week ago. Violent white men are the greatest terrorist threat to our country,” tweeted Vice President Kamala Harris’ niece Meena Harris on Monday.
But after it was later revealed that police identified the suspect in the Boulder mass gunman as 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Al-Issa, Harris issued a backhanded follow-up tweet admitting that she was wrong, making sure to caveat her new tweet with a comment disparaging white men.
“I deleted a previous tweet about the suspect in the Boulder shooting,” Harris wrote. “I made an assumption based on his being taken into custody alive and the fact that the majority of mass shootings in the U.S. are carried out by white men.”
I deleted a previous tweet about the suspect in the Boulder shooting. I made an assumption based on his being taken into custody alive and the fact that the majority of mass shootings in the U.S. are carried out by white men.
— Meena Harris (@meenaharris) March 23, 2021
Harris, however, was one of many verified Twitter accounts to claim the Boulder gunman was a “white man” simply based on the fact that police had taken him into custody alive — a narrative oftentimes pushed by the left in an attempt to promote the subjective claim that police treat white gunmen with more respect than gunmen of other races.
“Description: ‘Police have taken him into custody.’ Translation: He was white,” tweeted author Don Winslow.
Description: "Police have taken him into custody"
Translation: He was white
— Don Winslow (@donwinslow) March 23, 2021
Beyond infuriating that the Colorado terrorist killed a cop but was arrested alive, while cops shot Tamir Rice dead for holding a toy b/c the cop feared for his life.
How is an unarmed black child more frightening than a grown white male mass murderer??
Reckless.
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. قاسم رشید (@QasimRashid) March 23, 2021
Tamir Rice was a 12-year-old black child. Police shot him in 1.7 sec & let him suffer in agonizing pain for 4 min & die.
Colorado terrorist is a grown white man who killed 10 people including a cop. Cops arrested him alive & helped him to a stretcher for immediate medical care.
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. قاسم رشید (@QasimRashid) March 23, 2021
Pointing out how white suspects get the benefit of the doubt without being stopped, frisked, beaten, shot or killed is not a call for harsh treatment
It simply means we KNOW cops are capable of treating ppl humanely….just not us
y’all could use a few more ass-whoopings, tho
— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) March 22, 2021
Strength to those relatives in Boulder, Colorado who could have been in that grocery store today. 10 people lose their lives; another White male snaps in a bloody massacre, another violent armed White male apprehended alive.
— Chase Iron Eyes (@ChaseIronEyes) March 23, 2021
Feminist Amy Siskind also made it clear that she believed the gunman was “a white man” due to the fact that the suspect was “taken into custody” alive.
“If he were Black or Brown he would be dead,” Siskind affirmed.
The shooter is was taken into custody.
In other words it was almost certainly a white man (again). If he were Black or Brown he would be dead.
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) March 23, 2021
But the next day, after the suspect’s name was released, Siskind interestingly shifted gears by encouraging her followers not to give the gunman “attention” by having “his name widely known,” but rather, “mourn the victims,” instead.
Let's mourn the victims, but not glorify the killer with the attention of having his name widely known.
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) March 23, 2021
Other blue checks on Twitter responded to the Boulder shooting by claiming there exists a “culture of entitlement” that causes “white men” to go to on shooting sprees at the drop of a hat.
Others even suggested that AR-15s are somehow to blame.
We can change the culture of entitlement that inspires white men to go on shooting sprees.
We can get rid of weapons that make mass shootings more possible.
We CAN do these things, but the Right relies on them for fundraising, political power, and intimidation against democracy
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) March 23, 2021
The suspected gunman in the Boulder, Colorado mass shooting is a white guy. Seven reported dead!
Cue “mental issues,” “bad day,” “parking dispute,” or anything else other than what he most likely is – a white domestic terrorist. pic.twitter.com/v0ukqWtIVN
— CJ Werleman (@cjwerleman) March 22, 2021
Extremely tired of people's lives depending on whether a white man with an AR-15 is having a good day or not.
— Julie DiCaro wrote a book (@JulieDiCaro) March 23, 2021
When a white guy with an AR-15 shoots and kills a bunch of people, is the motive* reality relevant?
*SPOILER ALERT on the motive: He was having feelings (anger, inadequacy, invisibility, impotence, i.e. not special).
— George Hahn (@georgehahn) March 23, 2021
Boulder, Colorado.
Another mass shooting in the US.
Another white guy with an AR-15.
Another achievement of NRA. pic.twitter.com/X86nM1iHko— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) March 23, 2021
“Call it what it is ..White supremacist domestic terrorism,” chimed in actress Rosanna Arquette after the news broke of the shooting in Boulder, Colorado.
Call it what it is ..White supremacist domestic terrorism
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) March 22, 2021
It was so relaxing to just be worried about being killed by an invisible virus instead of literally any slightly inconvenienced white man with a gun.
— Camilla Blackett (@camillard) March 23, 2021
People will continue to die just so that white men can own guns and reinforce the power they already have.
— Dr. Oni Blackstock (@oni_blackstock) March 23, 2021
Twitter has not taken action against these verified users for their misinformation, despite the fact that in other cases it has “fact-checked” memes and obvious parody.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler @alana, and on Instagram.
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