Facebook has named the shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin as “mass murder” and deleted the suspect’s Facebook and Instagram account. Two people were killed and one was injured on Tuesday night after calling them “weapons” during Black Lives Matter protests broadcast on stage.
“We have named the shooting as a mass murder and have removed the shooter’s accounts from Facebook and Instagram,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “At this time, we have not found evidence on Facebook that suggests that the shooter followed the Kenosha Guard page or that he was invited to the event page he held.”
A Facebook group named Kenosa Guard posted an event list on Tuesday afternoon calling on its followers to “take up arms and protect our city from evil thugs” as protests shook the city for the third consecutive night . According to The Verge, the event was also promoted by InfoWars.
Since Sunday, activists and residents in Kenosha have been protesting the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake, even Wisconsin Department of Building Construction. Blake was shot seven times by an officer when Blake tried to end a fight between two women. He is currently hospitalized and in stable condition.
On Tuesday night, 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse can be seen in a video posted on social media carrying a rifle and engaging with other armed groups, before firing at a group of protesters. Also gave the Retainhouse An interview with Same night deli caller, His job is to “protect the people”. He has since been arrested and charged with first-degree intentional murder in connection with the shooting, killing two people and injuring one.
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed to on Wednesday that the Kenosha Guard page had been taken regarding militia organizations for violating its “Dangerous Persons and Organizations” policy – and that it was subject to supplementary material and accounts related to the Tuesday night shooting Is working to identify and remove. . The company said it would continue to remove material praising the shooting and ban copysat accounts from surfacing in the name of the shooter.
Facebook has faced criticism in recent weeks for dealing with violent extremism and hate speech on its platform, leading to real-world violence. Last week, the company introduced a new policy aimed at moderating groups and promoting violence and glorifying violence, removing thousands of accounts linked to the far-right conspiracy group QAnon.
However, Tuesday night’s shooting may be an indication that Facebook’s latest policy lacks real-world results. As The Verge reported, two Facebook users reported to the Kenosha Guard Group ahead of Tuesday’s protests and were told that it did not violate the platform’s policies.
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