A photo shared on X claims to show the Apalachee High School shooter, allegedly a nonbinary trans girl named Samantha Hyde. 

BREAKING: Apalachee High School shooter has been identified as non-binary trans girl Samantha Hyde pic.twitter.com/4ZHwjBZjN2

— Luke (@BeastBughaFN) September 4, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is baseless. This image is a part of a common hoax shared after violent events.

Fact Check: 

Colt Gray, 14, and his father, Colin Gray, 54, are both facing charges after Colt Gray fatally shot two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School on Wednesday, according to USA Today. While the son is facing four felony murder counts, his father is being charged as an accessory.

The X post, formerly known as Twitter, purports to show an image of the Apalachee High School shooter. The image appears to show a person with blonde, shoulder-length hair and lipstick holding a gun in one hand.

“BREAKING: Apalachee High School shooter has been identified as non-binary trans girl Samantha Hyde,” the post reads.

This claim is baseless, however. The actual shooter, 14-year-old Colt Gray, has been arrested and charged, according to Newsweek. His mug shot included in this article does not match up with the picture shared on X. (RELATED: Does This Image Show The Suspect In The Recent Georgia Shooting?)

Check Your Fact has debunked numerous claims in the past that the man, actually named Sam Hyde and not trans, was identified as a shooter in various mass murders or otherwise violent occurrences. Using Hyde’s image originated as a joke on 4chan in 2015 for reasons unknown, according to Forbes.