From shock to 'staged': Conspiracy theories hit the ground running after White House shooting

Conspiracy theories flooded social media after gunfire erupted outside a Washington media dinner, reflecting America's polarised environment. Online forums lit up with unsubstantiated claims that the episode was "staged," with users parsing video clips and eyewitness accounts to construct narratives. The speculation underscored a broader erosion of trust in institutions and official accounts, with many scrutinizing the President's reaction and the sequence of evacuations.