Fact Check

No, This Isn't a Real Headline About 'Misgendering the Nashville Shooter'

Cinch News is a satire website.

Published March 30, 2023

 (Twitter)
Image Via Twitter
Claim:
A headline from an actual news organization said: "Misgendering the Nashville shooter dishonors the memory of his victims."

On March 28, 2023, Cinch News published an article claiming that misgendering the Nashville Covenant School shooter disrespected the memory of the victims. Six people were killed during the shooting on March 27.

The article said:

Misgendering the Nashville shooter dishonors the memory of his victims

A national tragedy played out this week at a Nashville school.

...As the nation attempts to heal on the heels of yet another mass shooting perpetuated by the right wing and the NRA, we are faced with another issue that might be even more startling.

Multiple news agencies and even officials on the ground have constantly misgendered the shooter who identified as a male.

The claim spread on platforms like Twitter, where users asked if the headline was real.

It wasn't. This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. Cinch News is a satire website that describes its content as mocking news organizations:

"Cinch News is a satirical publication that ridicules mainstream media and modern journalism for their bias, lying, and provocation," a webpage explaining what the organization does said.

At the time of this publication, no hard evidence existed proving or disproving that the Nashville Covenant School shooter was transgender. Reputable news organizations have published conflicting information about the shooter's gender identity. 

For background, here is why we sometimes write about satire/humor.

Sources

LaMagdeleine, Izz Scott. "Viral 'Transgender Shooter' Claims After Nashville Mass Shooting Lacked Context." Snopes, 29 Mar. 2023, https://www.snopes.com/news/2023/03/29/viral-transgender-shooter-claims-context/.

Why | Cinch News Network. 11 Mar. 2022, https://cinchnews.com/why/.

Izz Scott LaMagdeleine is a fact-checker for Snopes.