We’re perfectly willing to admit we don’t know much about Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old who shot and killed two and wounded another in Kenosha Tuesday night — we like to wait for confirmation before spreading any news. However, others aren’t being so careful, and Rex Chapman, who has 940,000 followers, tweeted a photo of Rittenhouse’s mother on the same night as the shooting.
Kyle Rittenhouse’s mom Wendy — on same night her son killed two people and shot another… pic.twitter.com/feqJMfnsnq
— Rex Chapman?? (@RexChapman) August 27, 2020
The rifle had Talking Points Memo founder Josh Marshall wondering if fascism ran in the family:
good lord. this is confirmed? they were fashing as a family?
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) August 27, 2020
Is it confirmed? No — in fact, the photographer who took the picture says it’s not Rittenhouse’s mother and it wasn’t taken in Kenosha.
No, it's not. This is my photo. I took this photo in Madison, Wisconsin. Why in the hell would she be in Madison? Here is the original photo I took that someone just used and zoomed in on the woman. pic.twitter.com/hhRWs4ZjFN
— Miki Takes Photos (@MikiTakesPhotos) August 27, 2020
This is why it’s important to credit photographers if you’re using their work.
If you can’t back it up with confirmation, then don’t do it.
Or at least make sure your sarcasm is obvious, Rex.
Cc: @File411
— ScubaVal — #NoJusticeNoPeace (@MajikaZulJin) August 27, 2020
you mean we can't trust Rex Chapman im so disillusioned
— Polonium Spice Latte (@TheFullMnuchin) August 27, 2020
Looks like Kyle in front with the long gun, glasses and hat.
— NotYourGrandmother (@HarmonicHulaHoe) August 27, 2020
Nope, completely different person.
— Miki Takes Photos (@MikiTakesPhotos) August 27, 2020
It sounds like nobody really knows for sure if this is actually her or not
— Shay (@ShadyPlanes) August 27, 2020
I'm about 99% sure it's not her. It just doesn't make sense she would have been in Madison, Wisconsin several nights ago with a group of local people with guns, and it doesn't even look like her ?♀️
— Miki Takes Photos (@MikiTakesPhotos) August 27, 2020
Lesson confirmed again and again. do not take at face value anything you find on the Internet.
— ????? ?????? (@razputinreborn) August 27, 2020
I don't see why big accounts like this rush to put out unconfirmed information that more often than not ends up being inaccurate, as the photographer who took this photo points out. Is it really worth it? https://t.co/shYZNirwh7 https://t.co/88lxJMmuKD
— Danny Gold (@DGisSERIOUS) August 28, 2020
@RexChapman can you comment please? If this isn’t her can you remove the photo? I don’t think it’s right to whoever this is to misidentify her.
— It’s true. I’m Q. (@QisQ44153) August 28, 2020
But he’s already racked up nearly 9,000 retweets — it’d be a shame to take it down.
Related:
What a LOSER –> Chris Murphy blaming Matt Gaetz for a ‘white nationalist Trump supporter shooting people’ BACKFIRES https://t.co/t4EwrBCaO9
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 27, 2020
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