FOX News Caught Stoking Hate With Fake News that Mass Shooter was Muslim

by Justin Gardner

Proving that the purveyors of fake news exist on both sides of the political divide, Fox News was caught perpetuating the blame for the Quebec mosque shooting on a Muslim Moroccan – well after Quebec authorities had clarified that he was actually a witness.

The actual suspect is 27-year-old Alexandre Bissonnette, a white French Canadian with a habit of posting anti-immigrant and misogynistic remarks online, who also praises Donald Trump and French politician Marine Le Pen.

Alexandre Bissonnette est maintenant considéré comme le seul suspect de l’attaque dans la mosquée de Québec https://t.co/5jglinnlHd pic.twitter.com/ZMRWCZ7MBe

— TVA nouvelles (@tvanouvelles) January 30, 2017

The shooting, which left six dead and 19 wounded, occurred on the night of Jan. 29. Mohamed Belkadir had just finished prayers when he heard gunshots inside. After 15 to 20 seconds of shooting, he ran back inside to help.

Translated from La Presse:

“It’s the reflex when someone gets hurt. We cannot leave him. It is an act of humanity shared by everyone, not just the Muslims,” he said modestly, insisting that he should not be made a star or a hero.

The shooter was already gone. Dead and wounded strewed the ground. Mohamed Belkhadir telephoned 9-1-1 to ask for help and give the address to the emergency services. He leaned over to cover a wounded man with his coat. It was soon after that a great fright filled him.

“I saw someone with a weapon. I did not know that he was a policeman, I thought he was coming back to shoot. So I fled outside, on the parking side,” he said.

“I understand, I respect that they caught me. They saw me flee, they thought I was suspicious, that’s normal. For them, someone who flees is a suspect,” says Mohamed Belkhadir.

Belkadir was initially a suspect, but authorities cleared him within hours as the shooter called police to turn himself in. Quebecois news outlets were already reporting that Bissonnette was the shooter and Belkadir was a witness, but that didn’t stop Fox News from tweeting Belkadir was the shooter.

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