Medicine Hat police forced to respond to disturbing fake post by McBride’s Bakery
A radical, far-left business owner in Medicine Hat forced local police to debunk horrific rumours after posting a graphic piece of fan-fiction detailing “ICE agents” shooting and killing children.
A radical, far-left business owner in Medicine Hat forced local police to debunk horrific rumours after posting a graphic piece of fan-fiction detailing “ICE agents” shooting and killing children.
Medicine Hat Police Service released a notice Thursday assuring community members that a graphic and concerning Facebook post detailing the supposed last horrifying moments of children as young as 12 being killed by law enforcement was, in fact, a hoax.
“The Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) and the Medicine Hat Public School Division (MHPSD) are aware of a social media post from a local business that is circulating that references Crestwood STEM school in Medicine Hat,” police said in the statement. “We can confirm that the story being shared is not true and is not based on any actual incident in our community. Police have spoken with the business owner and there is no threat to public safety related to this post.”
The nearly 3,000-word Facebook post was written by the owner of McBride’s Bakery, a local business with numerous posts calling for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to resign. The post used real names, photos, quotes, ages and local locations to make up a story that frightened residents who did not realize it was fiction. The post did not indicate it was political satire.
In the story, which many readers thought was a real news article, the poster described four black “ICE trucks” performing a raid on Crestwood School to capture immigrant children. Only at the end of the post do readers learn through context clues that the supposed “ICE agents” are meant to be the proposed Alberta Sheriff’s Police Force.
The post refers to the United Conservative Party government of Alberta unveiling legislation to establish a provincial police force to help rural communities be less reliant on the federal police force.
According to the McBride’s Bakery fictional post, the school went into lockdown, with some community members smashing their vehicles into law enforcement to impede their imagined raid. Police then supposedly shot tear gas canisters into a classroom and eventually began seemingly shooting at children and staff indiscriminately.
The imagined narrative graphically details a small child with his hands up being shot. The tale states, using full names, that at least three individuals were killed, three others were wounded (one being in a coma), and two Syrian children were kidnapped by the provincial police.
Some of the deaths invented in the post were carried out at point-blank range, execution style.
The story even names the bakery itself, which likely added to the credibility of the post.
One commentator, “Berta Proud Dad,” criticized the tale, stating that the timing of the post was even more egregious given the recent mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, which involved children of the same age.
He also noted that crafting the tale to make a political point against Smith and her government cost taxpayers, as emergency services had to be engaged and the hoax created an overall panic in the community.
Police did not indicate that any action would be taken against the bakery for the post, which led to misinformation. Instead, police warned the public to verify information and use reliable sources before sharing social media posts on serious matters.
“We recognize that messages of this nature can cause concern for families, students, staff, and community members,” police said in the statement. “We encourage everyone to verify information through official and reliable sources before sharing it further.”