Who is Sam Hyde? Why Are Netizens Linking the White Supremacist to Nashville Explosion?

Sam Hyde, a white supremacist and ardent Trump supporter, is being discussed among social media users after the Nashville explosion. Hyde's name cropped up soon after a recreational vehicle explosion took place on Christmas morning, triggering conspiracy theories.

The explosion, which injured at least three people, was termed as a deliberate act by the local authorities and Mayor John Cooper. Apart from the vehicle debris recovered at the explosion site, the investigators have also found human remains. However, it is still unclear whether they belong to the attacker or an explosion victim.

sam Hyde
A fake photo in circulation on social media names Sam Hyde as prime suspect in Nashville explosion. Twitter

Who is Sam Hyde?

Soon after the shooting, some social media users claimed that the shooter was identified as Sam Hyde, a member of the alt-right terrorist group known as '90 Percent Civilia.

As previously reported, it is not for the first time that Hyde's name has cropped up in shooting incidents. In truth, Hyde is an American comedian, who is part of a comedy group called Million Dollar Extreme (MDE). According to RT Hyde's name as a shooter cropped up first in an article published on Daily Stormer, headlined 'Sam Hyde and Million Dollar Extreme Troll The Oregon Shooting'.

The article refers to Hyde "and his large base of followers on Twitter" and their attempts to "grab the attention of the Main Stream [sic] Media for the purpose of a good laugh" and references Hyde being dubbed a shooter. The name also appeared on the message board 4Chan.

The Hyde meme, calling him the 'lone white shooter', was largely in circulation during the shootings in San Bernardino, Kalamazoo, Baton Rouge, and Orlando and Texas church.

Social Media Falls Prey to the 'Sam Hyde' Fluke

Despite Hyde being a hoax character whose name crops up every time a violent public act takes place, social media was full of conspiracy theories about his involvement in the recent attack.

"BREAKING: The Nashville bombing mastermind is believed to be Sam Hyde. After years of not getting an invite by Joe Rogan to come on his podcast, he could no longer bear not being on and decided to enact another heinous event that he would of course get away with," wrote a user.

One user even suggested that police have released a sketch of Hyde following the blast. "Police in Nashville have released a composite sketch of the man responsible for the Christmas Terrorist attack. Confidential sources say Tennessee Governor @BillLeeTN has confirmed it is the notorious terrorist Sam Hyde," tweeted the user.

"BREAKING: the human remains located at the explosion site in Nashville have been identified as the infamous Neo-Nazi and convicted terrorist, Sam Hyde. This photo, found on his social media, captures his final moments before the explosion," wrote another.

This article was first published on December 26, 2020
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