Conspiracy theorists immediately reacted to a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday by claiming that the tragedy was a “false flag.”
Across social media, conspiracy theorists alleged that the shooting, which left one person dead and 21 wounded, had been orchestrated by the federal government.
Followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory, who believe that a group of secret agents are sending them riddles online about a battle between former President Donald Trump and a cabal of child-eating satanists, began placing the blame on their ideological enemies just moments after the shooting ended.
“False flag illegal immigrant MK-Ultra-ed transgender mentally ill pronoun person taking prescription medications and already on an FBI watch list,” Sather wrote. “Did I cover all the bases there?”
A far-right user known as “Raw Milk Nationalist” instead blamed Taylor Swift, who conspiracy theorists believe is secretly working with the Pentagon in order to help President Joe Biden win the 2024 presidential election.
“Bet this was a false flag so that Taylor Swift can cry more about gun control,” they wrote.
Raw Milk Nationalist appears to have deleted their account shortly after.
Others pointed to Swift’s relationship with Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce before suggesting that the shooting was likely part of the Pentagon’s psyop.
#BREAKING: TAYLOR SWIFT FUCK-BOY IN MORTAL DANGER,” the user Online Shogun wrote. “Shots fired near Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri at the Chiefs Super Bowl parade. 2 armed people were detained. There are several casualties. Is this a false flag? What do you guys think? #MAGA.”
Yet after police took three suspects into custody, none of whom thus far are known to be “immigrants” or “transgender,” conspiracy theorists quickly shifted the goalposts.
“Kansas City shooting not a false flag,” he said. “Looks like gang violence. Media will still say white supremacy did it.”
The sudden shift in narrative from conspiracy theorists did not go unnoticed.
“Conservative response to mass shootings on here has become as grim as it is predictable: blame immigrants, if that fails blame trans people, if that fails blame mental health, if that fails claim it was a false flag,” user Jean-Michel Connard said. “Just zero interest in making any progress on the issue.”
Kansas City Police have not released the names of either the victims or the arrested suspects. A law enforcement source speaking with CBS News has alleged that the shooting was not terrorism-related and was instead sparked by an argument.
Despite the backtracking from some conspiracy theorists, it’s unlikely that reactions to the next mass shooting will be any different.
