Michael Mallinson, a 77-year-old retired banker from Toronto, has found himself at the center of a viral misinformation campaign following the assassination of American commentator Charlie Kirk. Despite having never met Kirk or even being aware of his existence before the incident, Mallinson is now desperately trying to clarify that he is not the individual responsible for Kirk's death.
Kirk was shot dead during a college event in Utah, prompting a significant media response. Mallinson, who identifies himself as an "old socialist," was shocked when his daughter called him in a panic, urging him to delete his social media accounts. Upon waking from a post-shopping nap, he found his name and image wrongly associated with the crime on various social media platforms, labeling him as a "Utah Democrat" who committed the act.
The misinformation appears to have originated from a fake news account that erroneously connected Mallinson to a man arrested and later released in relation to the shooting. Despite some physical similarities—such as both being bald and wearing glasses—Mallinson finds the association baffling. "We don't look alike at all," he remarked, expressing disbelief at how the misinformation spread so quickly.
As the misinformation circulated, Mallinson and his family experienced online harassment. Negative comments directed towards him included terms like "savage," and even threats aimed at his daughter, who received messages wishing him immense suffering. The entire experience has caused distress to his family, particularly affecting his wife, who is struggling with the fallout from the situation.
Attempting to erase his online presence, Mallinson deleted his social media accounts, thereby losing connections that he had maintained through his volunteer work with the Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association. This organization supports individuals suffering from the chronic arthritic disease, and he had built friendships across the globe as a result of his online engagement. In light of the misinformation, friends from various countries have reached out to check on him, prompting him to clarify that he was not involved in Kirk’s shooting.
Despite the ongoing nature of the misinformation, Mallinson has not contacted social media companies to have the posts taken down. Instead, he is focused on disseminating the truth as broadly as possible, insisting that the narrative linking him to the heinous crime is entirely false. With his face still appearing alongside the misleading information up to 24 hours after it first spread, he remains hopeful that the situation will eventually dissipate.
The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, a controversial figure closely allied with former U.S. President Donald Trump, has drawn widespread condemnation, including from political figures in Canada such as Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. As the investigation into Kirk’s murder continues, with authorities launching a manhunt for the actual shooter, Mallinson’s plight serves as a stark reminder of the damaging effects of misinformation in today’s digital landscape.
