HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Here at WCNC Charlotte, our Verify team is working hard to fight misinformation.
A video circling online appears to show a fight at North Mecklenburg High School. At the very end of the clip, you can hear gunfire and then the video ends abruptly.
WCNC Charlotte decided to Verify the facts in the video and what is real or misinformation.
THE QUESTION
Was there a shooting after a fight at North Mecklenburg High School?
THE ANSWER
No, there were no shots fired following a fight at North Mecklenburg High School
OUR SOURCES
- Huntersville Police Department
- A YouTube video we found online
WHAT WE FOUND
When we emailed the Huntersville Police Department asking if a fight occurred at North Meckleburg High School last Friday, police said there was a fight at the end of the day and all of the juveniles involved had been released to their parents.
Now for the video circulating on the Citizens app, which is an app that sends users location-based safety alerts in real-time. Police said an unknown person added the sound of gunfire to the very end.
Our Verify team took that video and extracted the audio and we believe it was pulled from a YouTube channel called ProSounds. Without the metadata, we cannot be 100% conclusive. However, we can say the number of gunshot matches, the speed of fire matches, and the caliber and type of weapon(s) sound the same.
This is a good reminder to everyone that while the Citizen app can be helpful in emergencies, it’s important to note anyone can upload a video onto the app and it is best to verify its contents before sharing it online.
WCNC Charlotte's Verify series is all about trying to make a difference in the Carolinas by making sure the community has the correct information. WCNC Charlotte outlines concisely what we know and what we don't know. Sometimes the answer can be surprising. Watch previous stories where we verify social media claims in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.