Fact Check: Was the Minneapolis mass-shooting suspect a transgender person named Samantha Hyde?

Media Bias Fact Check (MBFC) publishes daily vetted fact checks from verified IFCN-approved sources. Each claim is independently reviewed for accuracy and context.


Claimant: Social Media


Claim: The suspect in the Minneapolis mass shooting was trans shooter Samantha Hyde.


Rating: BLATANT LIE


Explanation: The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension identified the suspect as 35-year-old Carlton Neal Johnson II. The image circulating with the “Samantha Hyde” claim was digitally altered and appears to be another version of the longstanding Sam Hyde hoax that often follows mass shootings.


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Date: 09/08/2026


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Last Updated on September 8, 2026 by Media Bias Fact Check