Newly uncovered Facebook posts show that Arizona Republican state Sen. Justine Wadsack declared that the Uvalde, Texas, mass school shooting was a false flag event enacted to install “Red Flag laws and gun regulations.”
Wadsack’s embrace of the Uvalde false flag conspiracy theory came after another Facebook user sent her numerous pieces of supposed evidence in a comments section. It is another example demonstrating how social media, including Facebook, helps further push people down misinformation rabbit holes.
Wadsack has a history of embracing conspiracy theories online: She has tweeted the QAnon slogan and shared false claims about the 2020 election being stolen. (Wadsack has claimed she is not a QAnon conspiracy theorist.)
Shortly after the Uvalde school shooting on May 24, 2022, Wadsack wrote a Facebook post stating: “Prayers for the families grieving after 19 children & 2 adults murdered in TX. #Wadsack4Arizona.”
A commenter on Wadsack’s post responded, “As details emerge, this is looking more like a False Flag event, for the purpose of whipping up emotional gun control and anti-2nd amendment frenzy.” Wadsack asked the person for more information. That person then posted several screenshots and links — some of which no longer appear to be online — including an insinuation that the shooter likely received help from “the Feds.” Wadsack responded: “yes. Very interesting!”
After another commenter told her it was “probably brought to you in part by those that brought the ‘Replacement Theory’...or another way to keep the future minority voters in check,” Wadsack replied: “This school shooting has nothing to do with keeping minority voters in check, IMO. But I believe it has everything to do with instilling Red Flag laws and gun regulations that move America toward losing our 2nd Amendment.”
Wendy Rogers, Wadsack’s colleague in the Arizona state Senate, suggested in May 2022 that the white supremacist mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, was a false flag operation orchestrated by federal agents as well. Rogers, like Wadsack, has also pushed the QAnon conspiracy theory.
