Facebook Cracking Down on Posts Praising Atlanta Shooting

In the latest test of its moderation efforts, Facebook is cracking down on posts praising the Atlanta shooting.

Eight people were killed in shootings at three spas in the Atlanta area, apparently perpetrated by a single suspect. In the wake of the tragedy, it appears some people just can’t stop being the worst version of themselves, posting hateful comments purported to be from the alleged shooter’s Facebook account.

Facebook has since confirmed the account was a fake and has taken it down, although screenshots of the post have already circulated.

“We’ve confirmed that these screenshots are fake and we’re removing them from the platform for violating our policies,” a Facebook spokesperson told Mashable.

Facebook is also designating the shooting a “violating event.” As a result, Facebook will remove any and all posts praising the shooting, or voicing support for it in any way.

While it’s hard for any normal person to understand how sane human beings can praise or support a mass shooting, Facebook deserves credit for moving as quickly as it is to combat any such comments.