An account named @merlinscapital circulated an image showing a person on a rooftop seemingly holding a sniper rifle. The post claimed that this individual was the shooter who targeted Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. It further alleged that the FBI reported the shooter may have ties to foreign intelligence. These claims are false. The image has been online since at least February 2019 and is unrelated to the recent incident.
The claim was spread by @merlinscapital and amplified by several social media users, who shared it without verifying the source or date of the image.
Truth: Image Unrelated to Charlie Kirk Shooting
As this claim gained traction, it drew our attention. The D-Intent Data Team conducted a reverse image search and gone through credible sources. Our findings led us to The Onion, which published the same image in February 2019. This confirms that the image is several years old and has no connection to the recent shooting of Charlie Kirk. The circulating claims are entirely false and misleading.
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— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) September 11, 2025
ANALYSIS: Misleading
FACT: An image showing a person on the edge of a building rooftop, seemingly holding a sniper rifle, is being circulated with the claim that it depicts the shooter who targeted Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. However, this is an old image (1/2) pic.twitter.com/8CRt4Jxn9q
Intent:
Influencers are circulating old images with self-invented claims to get the spotlight on social media over Charlie Kirk’s death.
Conclusion:
Claim: The rooftop image shows the Charlie Kirk shooter.
Fact: The image is from 2019 and unrelated to the incident.
Related Article: Fact Check: Old video of a woman shooting a gunman in Brazil resurfaces with misleading claims – D-Intent Data
