Posts about × Internet personality and comedian Sam Hyde claims to have been identified as the man responsible for the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 UnitedHealthcare CEO The shooter has been identified as Samuel Hyde. The NYPD dispatched the APB to arrest him. Please stay away. The suspect is armed and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/thHhTHU4oEU

— David Santa Carla 🦇 (@TheOnlyDSC) December 5, 2024

Verdict: False

Sam Hyde is a comedian and internet personality. He has been the subject of a long-running meme, falsely linking him to numerous incidents.

Fact check:

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the back. killed On December 4, he was murdered by an anonymous masked assassin in New York City during the day on his way to a shareholder meeting. The killing sparked a five-day search for the suspect in the area, according to Fox News.

In a post on X, police claim to have identified the gunman once, shortly after the crime. They identify “Samuel Hyde” as the assassin and claim that the New York City Police Department warned them to stay away from him because he is considered armed and dangerous. The attached photo appears to be of the suspect.

However, this is incorrect. Authorities have never claimed that the aforementioned persons were ever considered a person of interest. moreover, Hyde is a comedian and internet personality whose face was photoshopped into surveillance footage of the shooter to make it appear legitimate. Sam Hyde is frequently associated with crime as part of internet memes, and ‘Check Your Fact’ debunks past claims made about him. (Related: Fact check: Photo shows comedian, not gunman, involved in Moscow terror attack)

Authorities later arrested the suspect after the attack. Luigi Mangionea 26-year-old Ivy League graduate, was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania on December 9 and is currently awaiting a hearing as of publication.

This story was first reported by lead story.