Immediately after the Southport attack, baseless rumours began spreading online.
The main source of rumours has been a report by an obscure US "news" website that falsely claims the suspect is an "asylum seeker" named "Ali Al-Shakati", who "arrived in the UK by boat last year".
The main source of rumours has been a report by an obscure US "news" website that falsely claims the suspect is an "asylum seeker" named "Ali Al-Shakati", who "arrived in the UK by boat last year".
Merseyside Police has confirmed that the suspect was born in Cardiff, and has yet to identify the 17-year-old.
The report also adds that the suspect was "on MI6 watch list", despite the fact that it is MI5, not MI6, that deals with domestic counter-terrorism cases.
The report also adds that the suspect was "on MI6 watch list", despite the fact that it is MI5, not MI6, that deals with domestic counter-terrorism cases.
The name "Ali Al-Shakati" has since been widely shared online in misleading posts viewed by millions.
Some other outlets, including Russia's RT news channel, have also reported this name, citing the US-based website.
Some other outlets, including Russia's RT news channel, have also reported this name, citing the US-based website.
Other viral posts referred to a widely-shared post on LinkedIn which claimed without evidence that "a migrant" was responsible for the attack.
The post on the left, one of the earliest mentioning "Ali Al-Shakati", racked up 1.2 million views before it was deleted by the user.
The post on the left, one of the earliest mentioning "Ali Al-Shakati", racked up 1.2 million views before it was deleted by the user.
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