So yesterday evening I began noticing social media posts on Facebook and Twitter about a potential gunman on my alma mater’s campus about a mile from my apartment. I watched in awe as the posts came pouring through my feed as I tried to figure out what was actually occurring. In the beginning I noticed most students were posting about the American University (AU) alert that they received and retweeting official AU Twitter accounts about the matter. As the crisis escalated, I noticed a shift in the tone of the tweets and posts.

People began to look for any information to share about the crisis. People were checking in to locations and telling followers that all was well with them currently. Then a photo appeared on Twitter of two people on the AU shuttle bus with a caption asking for information regarding the individuals as well as the message “do not approach.” Once this image surfaced, people began sharing it immediately without any hesitation.

In the end, the “gunman” and his lady friend next to him were simply a boyfriend and girlfriend on the AU shuttle. In fact, the “gunman” was an off-duty cop with a gun holstered safely to his hip (as he had every right to do so.) The girlfriend took to Twitter to deny the rumors that her boyfriend was dangerous and American University lifted the lockdown on campus and issued an “all-clear” after 2 hours of helicopter and on-ground searching. (For a more thorough breakdown of the evening’s events, click here.)

One tweet that I saw immediately after the photo emerged struck me.

I definitely saw some similarities between the hysteria of AU’s students during the gunman “crisis” yesterday and the Boston Bombing case on Reddit. In both cases, individuals thought that sharing online, collaborating, and finger-pointing would bring about some sort of fruitful conclusion. However, in these cases, the conclusion was false accusations and panic-spreading due to a lack of evidence.

Now I’m not saying anyone did anything “wrong” per se, but I think it should prompt us to take a closer look at our social media use in crises. Social media itself is NOT journalism; it is not always rooted in fact. We should take note that while social media can be useful to get the word out in crisis situations, it can also be a hindrance that contributes to fear-mongering. Additionally, privacy can be invaded for unwilling individuals when individuals on social media take justice into their own hands.

Does anyone else have any thoughts? I’m still grappling with the implications this has on social media’s role in crisis communications such as this emergency situation.