Just two days after six people were killed in a mass shooting at a Virginia Walmart, several social media posts warned of a purported threat at an Illinois store.
“Active shooter at Walmart in Homewood,” reads a Nov. 25 Facebook post.
Another version of the claim was shared more than 800 times in one day before it was changed by its author.
Other versions of the claim were shared widely across the social media platform.
But the local police department said the posts are false. An incident was reported at the store that day, but no shooting happened.
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USA TODAY reached out to users who shared the claim for comment.
The Village of Homewood Police Department wrote in a Nov. 25 Facebook post that reports of an active shooter were “not accurate.”
The department said officers investigated a disturbance call at the store but that no shooting happened. The same statement was posted on the village government's Facebook page.
Kelly Strayer, Homewood's deputy chief, told USA TODAY on Nov. 28 the incident appears to have involved two people who got into a verbal fight in the store.
"We have found no evidence that a firearm was involved at this point," Strayer said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Patch, a local news website, also reported the active shooter claims were...
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