COLUMBUS, OH—Going about his daily routine without any knowledge of what would transpire in the near future, local black man Richard Phillips was said to be blissfully unaware Thursday that his name would be a social media hashtag by the end of the week. According to sources, the 38-year-old African American and father of two continued to run errands and commute to his job with no inkling that in less than 36 hours, his first and last name would be a nationally trending term on Facebook and Twitter, frequently appearing after the words “justice for” and “remember.” As he purchased his lunch from a sandwich shop around the corner from his workplace, those with knowledge of the situation confirmed Phillips did not have the faintest clue that in addition to the hundreds of thousands of mentions on social media, his name would soon appear on homemade signs and T-shirts worn by thousands of strangers all over the country. At press time, the mercifully oblivious Phillips was, heartbreakingly, calling home and discussing with family members what they wanted to do this weekend.

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