"Give me back my son, he's only 31," begins a September 12, 2025 Facebook post.
The post includes a picture of Kirk holding his daughter alongside another image of a man who appears to be crying. It continues: "A grieving father collapsed at the memorial for Charlie Kirk outside Turning Point USA's headquarters in Phoenix. Standing right beside him was music legend Paul McCartney, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to offer strength."
The message links to an article headlined: "Paul McCartney's Gentle Presence at Charlie Kirk’s Memorial: A Song Without Words."
Nearly identical posts claimed musicians such as Stevie Nicks, Mick Jagger and Luke Bryan were on hand to comfort Kirk's father at an Arizona memorial.
Some posts substituted the musicians' names for sports stars, including Formula One driver Max Verstappen and golf legend Tiger Woods.
Others inserted the name and image of President Donald Trump's appointees Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro -- while again linking to articles on ad-filled websites.
Kirk, a polarizing political figure, was shot dead September 10 during an event at Utah Valley University.
The 33-hour manhunt for the suspect prompted a flood of misinformation, with innocent individuals falsely accused of being the shooter, AI-generated content spreading quickly and chatbots repeating false and unverified claims.
Prosecutors formally charged Tyler Robinson,...
These pieces of news have quickly spread on social media, forums, and online exchange groups, targeting important sectors such as energy, banking, transportation and delivery services. After condu...