Fact Check

Woman with Concealed Carry Permit Saves Multiple Lives After Stopping Department Store Shooter

Fake news reports a woman saved multiple lives by using her concealed carry pistol to take down a department store shooter in Virginia.

Published Sept. 25, 2016

Claim:
A woman saved multiple lives by using her concealed carry pistol to take down a department store shooter in Virginia.

On 24 September 2016, the Associated Media Coverage fake news site, which has now rebranded itself as the Boston Tribune, published an article reporting that a woman with a concealed carry permit had saved multiple lives by stopping a department store shooter:

37-year old Lisa Harris saved the lives of multiple people after using her concealed carry pistol to take down a department store shooter in Virginia.

According to witness statements, the shooter, who has since been identified by police as 41-year old Randall Pierce, entered Bradford’s department store Saturday evening at approximately 5:10 PM.

According information provided by Chief of Police Matthew Collingsworth during a press-conference, the security footage provided to investigating officers by the Bradford’s loss prevention department shows an agitated Randall Pierce walking briskly throughout the department store for approximately 6-minutes prior to retrieving a .223 caliber AR-15 assault style rifle concealed under his long-jacket.

There was no truth to this report.

Associated Media Coverage is a well-known purveyor of fake news that has been shamelessly exploiting recent occurrences of gun violence by publishing fabricated clickbait stories reporting similar incidents (in this case playing on the 23 September 2016 shooting deaths of five people at the Cascade Mall in Burlington, Washington).

Although many readers may now be familiar with Associated Media Coverage's reputation, the site has recently started publishing articles under the banners of fictitious newspapers such as The Boston Tribune and The Baltimore Gazette:

boston tribune

While Associated Media Coverage may be changing their name to The Boston Tribune, their content is still nothing more than fake news.

David Mikkelson founded the site now known as snopes.com back in 1994.