A TikToker captured a news anchor accidentally saying “back to school shooting,” rather than “back to school shopping” on live TV.
In a TikTok posted on Aug. 4, TikToker Emmi (@handlewithcare) captured WCVB Boston news anchor Maria Stephanos saying “back to school shoot—school shopping,” while looking at the camera, wide eyed.
“There’s no way that just happened,” Emmi wrote in the video’s overlay text. On Tuesday, Emmi’s video had been viewed almost 9 million times.
Many commenters on Emmi’s video said that Stephanos saying “shooting” instead of “shopping” without meaning to is evidence that there are too many school shootings in the U.S. (There have been 27 thus far in 2022.)
“That’s how you know it’s too common,” @thetruthyoucanthandle1 commented.
“She’s probably talked [about] shootings more than shopping,” @royalpeache wrote. “It’s an honest mistake.”
“In all fairness, back to school shopping only happens once a year,” @gabrielwrites commented.
Others commented on how “American” Stephanos’s verbal slip up was.
“America moment,” @deavergent wrote.
“The most American clip ever,” @marleylovesfilm commented.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Emmi.
