Photo shows comedian Sam Hyde, not suspect in Moscow concert hall attack | Fact check

Andre Byik, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Image shows suspected Moscow concert hall gunman 'Sam Shevchenko'

A March 24 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) shows an image of a man with blond hair holding a rifle beside another image of people walking into the lobby of a building.

"Breaking news One of the gun men in the Moscow terrorist attack in Russia is to believed to be an Islamist chechnya called Sàm shevchenko (sic)," the image's caption reads.

The post was liked more than 1,000 times in a day.

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Our rating: False

The post shows a photo of comedian Sam Hyde, who has been repeatedly and falsely linked to mass killings for years. There are no credible news reports that a person named "Sam Shevchenko" is connected to the Moscow concert hall attack.

Post shows comedian, not suspect in Moscow concert hall attack

Gunmen attacked the Crocus City Hall concert venue in Moscow on March 22, leaving more than 130 people dead. Four people have been charged in the attack, at least three of whom were from Tajikistan, according to The New York Times.

But the man with blond hair in the Instagram post is not a suspect in the attack. It's a photo of comedian Sam Hyde, who The New York Times reported has been wrongly identified as a gunman in mass killings dating back to a shooting in San Bernardino, California, in 2015.

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Social media users have continued to falsely link Hyde to high-profile incidents. USA TODAY previously debunked claims that Hyde was a Ukrainian pilot called the "Ghost of Kyiv," a vigilante who shot down a Chinese spy balloon and the suspect in a shooting at a Nashville elementary school.

There are no credible news reports that an Islamist Chechen named "Sam Shevchenko" has been linked to the Moscow concert hall attack.

An Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, and Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the gunmen accused of carrying out the attack are "radical Islamists," the Associated Press reported on March 25.

The Instagram user who shared the image did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Post falsely links comedian to Moscow concert hall attack | Fact check