Sam Hyde: Gunman Possibly Identified In Mass Shooting At Pulse Nightclub In Orlando Being Ruled A Hoax

The country woke up to the tragic news this morning of a mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, which police are saying is being seen as “an act of terrorism.” So far, 20 people have been confirmed dead and 42 were taken to area hospitals with gunshot wounds and other injuries. Now, reports have started coming out that the shooter was a man named Sam Hyde, but that appears to be nothing more than a hoax.

UPDATE — 9:23 a.m. EST: Police have identified the shooter as 29-year-old Omar Mateen.

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BREAKING: Orlando shooter has been identified as recent Muslim convert Samuel Hyde, 30, of MA#PrayForOrlando pic.twitter.com/SxqQOYYM6f

— #MuslimControlNow (@TrumpHat) June 12, 2016

As reported by CNN, the shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando broke out around 2 a.m., and a hostage situation lasted for around three hours. It ended with SWAT storming the building, killing the gunman, and being able to rescue the rest of those that were being held inside.

Local police and the FBI are investigating the situation, which is being seen as a domestic act of terrorism, and the gunman has not yet been identified.

Early on Saturday morning, the reported identity of the gunman was making the rounds on social media and many were saying it was a white supremacist known as Sam Hyde. Some posts say he is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, and others say he made threats against homosexuals right before the shooting.

It appears now as if that is another Internet hoax.

UPDATE: Ignore repeated claims that the shooter was ‘Sam Hyde’ this is an Internet hoax after every mass attack #FloridaShooting #Pulse

— Rav Vadgama (@TVRav) June 12, 2016

As Buzzfeed reported, Sam Hyde’s name always comes up in the news after mass shootings, and it’s nothing more than a hoax to get news circulating. After the shooting at UCLA, Sam Hyde’s name was thrown around on social media, but it wasn’t him that had done anything.

Hyde is a comedian who also had his name and picture circulating on social media after the shooting in San Bernardino last year. It’s not entirely sure how this trend started with his name and picture being passed around after mass shootings and tragedies, but it’s happening again with the Pulse shooting in Orlando.

the shooter remains unidentified. Sam Hyde is not the shooter. don’t believe reddit/4chan hoaxes.

— ELIAS (@wtfelias) June 12, 2016

Sam Hyde is known for delivering very uncomfortable comedy material that is quite offensive to almost any audience that hears him. Still, he’s developed quite a huge following, which has his name and face showing up with every tragedy that takes place.

The “Sam Hyde is the shooter” meme is apparently huge on 4chan, as it floats around there all the time, but it isn’t met with a positive response. It’s not known if that is where the image originated, but it is where it lives.

Sam Hyde isn’t the shooter. People post this comedians pics every time there’s a shooting to troll #PrayForOrlando pic.twitter.com/HJRfX6svKn

— Sarah (@VballinChick) June 12, 2016

Again, police have not yet confirmed the identity of the shooter as Sam Hyde, but news is starting to make the rounds on social media, and many are believing it. It is, indeed, a hoax at this time and as of 9:20 a.m. EST, the police and FBI have not identified the gunman in the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. More information is coming out, and all that is known of the gunman at this time is that he is indeed dead at the hands of SWAT.