Fact Check: No. driver in viral video was not shot by angry passenger in US
A man being denied entry into the bus by the driver for not wearing a mask. After wearing a mask and entering the bus...
By Vamsi Krishna Pothuru Published on 11 Nov 2020 6:38 AM GMT
Several users on social media shared a video of a man threatening a bus driver with a gun. The dashcam video of the bus shows a man being denied entry into the bus by the driver for not wearing a mask. After wearing a mask and entering the bus, he suddenly pulls out a gun and points towards the driver.
"This happened in the US. The bus driver refused to open the door until he puts on a face mask. Eventually, he put on the mask, the driver opened the door and he shot the driver! What is happening to the world now!" read the caption of the video
Fact check:
Claim about the viral video is MISLEADING. This incident indeed happened in the USA, but the driver wasn't shot as claimed in social media.
With a relevant keyword search, Newsmeter came across a report by CBS58 published on 20 Aug 2020. The article featured the same video and titled "MPD looks to identify a man who pointed a gun at MCTS bus driver."
The incident happened in Milwaukee, a city in the state of Wisconsin, USA. The article reads "Milwaukee police are still searching for a man who pulled a gun on a Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) bus driver. MCTS says the man got angry over a face mask."
Newsmeter also found the same YouTube video by TMJ4 news uploaded on 21 Aug 2020. The description of the video reads, "The Milwaukee Police Department is seeking a suspect who pointed a gun at an MCTS bus driver on Tuesday."
The same incident was reported by Fox6now.
In all the above news reports, there was no mention of any firing occurred or the bus driver being shot. As viral video has no audio, it creates a false impression that the gun-wielding man opened fire.
Finally, it is evident from media reports that the bus driver wasn't shot as claimed on social media. Therefore the claim is MISLEADING.
