Claims of “crisis actors” in the wake of the deadly shooting in Florida sounded off across the internet’s conspiratorial corners, garnering attention on sites such as Gateway Pundit and True Pundit.
Most of the rumors surrounded Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school student David Hogg, who was interviewed by several news outlets after the tragedy.
“One student, in particular, David Hogg has been astonishingly articulate and highly skilled at propagating a new anti-Conservative/anti-Trump narrative behind the recent school shooting” Gateway Pundit wrote. “Few have seen this type of rapid media play before, and when they have it has come from well-trained political operatives and MSM commentators.”
The claim—that the students are paid actors, or have received media coaching—has been thoroughly refuted (or, at least as thoroughly as this brand of conspiracy theorizing can be). But unlike many conspiracies, this one had real-world consequences.
An article from Conservative Daily Post (citing a report from NBC Miami) claimed that an aide to Florida State Rep. Shawn Harrison had been terminated for sharing the conspiracy that Hogg was a “crisis actor.” Facebook users marked the post with skepticism as to its authenticity.
Harrison’s district secretary Benjamin Kelly was, in fact, fired for comments he made in an email to Tampa Bay reporter Alex Leary.
In the email, Kelly shared the conspiracy theory that Hogg and fellow student Emma Gonzalez were crisis actors, stating that “both kids . . . are not students here but actors that travel to various crisis when they happen.”
When asked for evidence, Kelly emailed a youtube video perpetuating the conspiracy, Leary reported.
Here’s the email. I asked for more information to back up the claim and was sent another email that linked to a YouTube conspiracy video. pic.twitter.com/VRSVOcjj3E
— Alex Leary (@learyreports) February 20, 2018
Harrison announced that Kelly was put on leave, citing the email Kelly sent to Leary.
“I was just made aware that my aide made an insensitive and inappropriate allegation about Parkland students today,” read a tweet from Harrison’s (now private) account. “I have spoken to him and placed him on leave until we determine an appropriate course of action. I do not share his opinion and he did so without my knowledge.”
“Kelly, 61, was subsequently fired by House Speaker Richard Corcoran, who oversees all House employees,” Tampa Bay Times reported.
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