Veteran Australian Broadcasting Corporation journalist Barrie Cassidy apologized after sharing and later deleting a social media post that falsely described the alleged shooter of U.S. conservative commentator Charlie Kirk as a right‑wing, Mormon conservative.
Cassidy said he posted the claim after seeing other social media posts and later removed it when he concluded his sources were not credible. He told an interviewer he was "incredibly embarrassed" by the mistake and deleted the post within hours of posting it.
The correction came as Utah officials, including Governor Spencer Cox, indicated investigators had found evidence the suspect had been influenced by left‑wing online communities. "There clearly was a leftist ideology," Cox said, and described the suspect’s activity as tied to what he called "deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the internet." Cox also said the suspect’s partner was transgender and described that person as "a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female," adding that the partner had cooperated with authorities. Officials have not publicly confirmed whether the partner’s gender identity was a motive in the alleged attack.
Cassidy’s deleted post had asserted the shooter was "a straight white conservative Mormon from Utah who thought Charlie Kirk wasn't far enough to the right." The post circulated widely before Cassidy removed it, prompting criticism on social media. Sky News presenter Rita Panahi reacted to the deletion by posting that Cassidy’s earlier claim was a lie and used disparaging language to criticize him.
Cassidy described his decision to post as prompted by a flurry of social media commentary and second‑hand claims. "It was Saturday morning when I first went on X and I saw posts about Donald Trump saying that radicals on the left are the problem and they're vicious and they're horrible," Cassidy told Steve Jackson's Media Diary. He said he had seen a post from an "news anchor in Utah" and an analyst referencing friends of the suspect, which led him to post the incorrect characterization. "I immediately deleted the post" when he realized the sources "weren't credible or strong enough," he said.
The episode highlights how quickly unverified social media claims can spread, including when amplified by prominent journalists. Police and state officials in Utah continue to investigate the incident; authorities have provided limited details publicly and have not reached a public conclusion about the suspect’s motives. Cassidy has said he regrets the error and expressed personal embarrassment over the spread of the false claim.