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Fact check: Online disinformation rife after Krakow mass shooting

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Fact check: Online disinformation rife after Krakow mass shooting

Fake and AI-manipulated images spread online in the hours after the Krakow attack, fueling false narratives about the mass shooting. DW Fact Check examined what's real, and what isn't. A gunman killed six people in a shooting spree in Krakow's Old Town on Saturday, before being shot and detained by police. The gunman, who is also suspected of killing three family members before the attack, later died in hospital .

Nevertheless, much is still unknown about the details of the crime, leaving social media users to fill the information vacuum with fake images of the attacker and alleged screenshots of his online profile. DW Fact Check breaks down the developing story. In the post, the image is posted with the caption, "[…] The perpetrator of the attack in Krakow is a 25-year-old Polish citizen, Polish police have reported. The death toll has reached six.

(…)". But the unusual sharpness of this picture raises doubt of its authenticity. It is difficult to imagine capturing such a clear image in a chaotic situation. DW checked the image using two different AI detectors.