viral post Shared by Xpreviously reported on Twitter that Sahil Omar has been identified as the suspect in the recent explosion at the Sandman Signature Downtown Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas.
🚨Breaking News: Suspect #explosion He was identified as 44-year-old immigrant Sahir Omar at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel in Texas, USA. Authorities have not yet found a motive.
The number of injured reached 11. pic.twitter.com/RtHSF36TMe
— Laysums 🇺🇸 (@laysums) January 8, 2024
Verdict: False
A Fort Worth Police Department spokesperson denied the validity of this claim in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact check:
The explosion at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel is believed to have been caused by a natural gas leak, news outlets announced. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. The blast left at least 21 people injured, one in critical condition and four with “serious injuries.” USA Today report.
“Breaking News: The suspect in the explosion at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel in Texas, USA, has been identified as 44-year-old immigrant Sahir Omar. Authorities have not yet found a motive. [sic] Up to 11 people were injured,” the X-post, which has been viewed more than 1 million times, claims. The post includes two videos showing smoke and debris in the aftermath of the incident. Sirens can also be heard in the background.
However, claims that Omar was identified as the suspect involved in the recent explosion are false.a Statement of January 8th Information shared with X by the Fort Worth Police Department does not name the suspect.
“At approximately 3:32 p.m., multiple 911 calls were received reporting a fire at the Sandman Hotel, located at 810 Houston Street.The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to the structure fire call, followed immediately by an explosion call at the same location. “The Fort Worth Police Department assisted with nearby road closures and parking lot clearing,” the statement reads in part.
“This is an ongoing investigation and further details will be released as they become available.”
At approximately 3:32 p.m., multiple calls were received for a fire at the Sandman Hotel, located at 810 Houston Street.
Fort Worth Fire Department responded to a call of a structure fire, which was quickly updated to a call of an explosion at the same location. Fort Worth…
— Fort Worth Police Department (@fortworthpd) January 9, 2024
Similarly, there are no reliable reports linking Omar to the explosion. In fact, the opposite is true.Article from lead story Articles that debunk this claim also appear in search results. (Related: Claims to be a video showing the tsunami in Japan)
Additionally, Forth Worth Police Department spokesperson Gezim Polozani denied the validity of the claim in an email to Fact Check.
“At this point in the investigation, there is no validity to what you are asking,” Polozani said.
This is not the first time Sahir Omar's name has been involved in a major news story. According to the same exposé in Lead Stories, “Sahil Omar” has been linked to claims about the late financier-turned-sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the 2023 mass shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and more. It is said that it was circulated.
