2017 Manchester Bombing

Overview

The 2017 Manchester Bombing was a suicide terrorist attack that occurred during an Ariana Grande concert at the main arena in Manchester, United Kingdom on the night of May 22nd, 2017. The attack has so far resulted in the death of at least 22 people and 59 non-fatal injuries.

Background

On the night of May 22nd, 2017, at around 10:40 p.m. (local time), news reports about an explosive detonation at a concert featuring Ariana Grande as the headline performer in Manchester, UK began surfacing all over Twitter.

According to several witness accounts, a massive bang suddenly erupted from the foyer of the arena as the pop singer was about to finish the last song, prompting a mass stampede of panic-stricken concertgoers trying to escape the site, most of them in their youths and teenage years.

Casualties

A total of 22 victims were killed in the attack and an additional 59 suffered non-fatal injuries. Two female victims who were killed in the attack have since been identified as 8-year-old Saffie Roussos and 18-year-old Georgina Callander.

Developments

Online Reactions

Immediately after the news broke, local residents in the Manchester area took their condolences to the social media, as well as offering aids and assistance in the aftermath of the attack, including lodging, car services and counseling, among others.

On Twitter

On Twitter, an official Moments^[8] page was published titled "22 dead after bomb at Ariana Grande concert." That evening, freelance journalist David Leavitt was widely condemned for tweeting two jokes about the incident, which he subsequently removed after former employers CBS News^[3] and AXS^[4] posted tweets distancing themselves from Leavitt.

Meanwhile, YouTuber Onision was also met with criticism for inappropriately tweeting about people who died of cancer (shown below).^[5]

Meanwhile, unverified rumors began circulating that the Twitter account @owys663 had published several ominous tweets in the hours leading up to the bombing (shown below). However, The Telegraph^[6] pointed out that the screenshots displayed an American date format, which would have placed the posting time after the attack.

On Reddit

Following the attack on May 22nd, several posts about the incident reached the front page of various forums on Reddit, including /r/worldnews,^[12] /r/news^[13] and /r/music.^[14] In addition, a Reddit live thread was created titled "Explosion at Manchester Arena."^[15]

On YouTube

That evening, YouTuber Mitchell Wiggs uploaded footage of people exiting the arena following the attack (shown below, left). Meanwhile, YouTuber Criticoenserio posted similar footage inside the arena immediately after the explosion (shown below, right).

TheReportOfTheWeek Death Hoax

On 4chan, users began circulating a rumor that YouTuber TheReportOfTheWeek (a.k.a. ReviewBrah) had been killed in the attack. That day, he uploaded a short video confirming that he was alive (shown below).

News Media Coverage

Within minutes of the blast, virtually all major UK news publications began a nonstop live coverage of the developing story, including BBC, The Sun, as well as mainstream news outlets in the United States and international wire services like the Associated Press and Reuters.

Official Response

By 11:44 p.m., the Greater Manchester Police had confirmed they are treating the case as a terrorist attack until further discovery, while notifying the citizens to stay clear of the area for safety. On the early morning of May 23rd, CBS News^[11] reported that the UK authorities identified 23-year-old Salman Abedi as the suicide bomber, who had been apparently under surveillance by the British authorities, while another man in southern Manchester was arrested "in connection with the attack."

ISIS Response

According to Vocativ,^[12] ISIS subsequently claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack via channels on the messaging application Telegram:

"ISIS soldiers planted explosive devices among a Crusaders gathering in Manchester, the next attack will be stronger and more lethal, against the worshipers of the Cross.

Trump's Response

On May 23rd, Trump delivered a statement, in which he described the attackers as "evil losers," noting he refused to call them "monsters" because "they would like that term" (shown below). Meanwhile, Twitter published a Moments^[7] page titled "Donald Trump responds to Manchester bombing."

Search Interest

External References