LI officials dismiss false reports of explosives near Trump's rally, detain suspect near campaign site

LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK: Long Island law enforcement swiftly dispelled viral social media reports falsely claiming that explosives had been discovered near the site of Donald Trump’s rally in Uniondale, New York.

The event, set to take place at Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday, September 18, had sparked widespread rumors online just hours before the campaign rally, prompting authorities to respond, according to ABC News.

Civilian detained in Nassau ahead of Donald Trump's rally

Patrick Ryder, Nassau County Police Commissioner, quickly addressed the panic situation, confirming that no explosives had been found.

"We questioned and detained a person who may have been training a bomb detection dog near the rally site and falsely reported finding explosives," stated Ryder.

According to a spokesperson for Nassau County Police, Lt Scott Skrynecki, the individual involved, was a civilian.

Skrynecki stated that the person had no formal affiliation with the rally and was not part of any law enforcement or security team.

"The person was neither working at the event nor associated with its organization in any capacity," he added.

The campaign rally is expected to draw thousands of Trump supporters to Nassau Coliseum, the former home of the NHL’s New York Islanders, marking the 78-year-old politician’s first rally on Long Island since 2017.

Misinformation about alleged explosives at Donald Trump's rally

Earlier in the day, misinformation about the alleged explosives began circulating online, originating from a post by a local reporter who cited unnamed sources within the police department.

The rumors quickly gained traction, particularly on X, where prominent accounts, including that of platform owner Elon Musk, helped spread the claims to millions of followers.

County officials quickly worked to publicly knock down the false reports.

Responding directly to media inquiries, Lt Skrynecki texted, "False" as the claims continued to spread.

Dismissing the rumors, Christopher Boyle, a spokesperson for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman called the claims, “Ridiculous. Zero validity.”

The rally in New York comes days after Trump was reportedly the target of a second possible assassination attempt.

Despite the political tension, officials of Nassau County have assured the public of heightened security measures at the event.

Internet doubles down on false reports of explosives at Donald Trump's rally

After Nassau County officials dismissed reports of a third assassination attempt on Donald Trump, netizens doubled down on the claims.

One user on X wrote, "This is totally believable. Let's have a bomb exercise near a Trump rally. That makes total sense. Right?" Another added, "Something definitely happened. The guy wouldn’t have just taken off and ran into the woods if nothing was going on."

"Glad it was a false alarm but this doesn't change the fact that Trump needs more security around him," a netizen commented. One remarked, "Even if it’s a false alarm. Thank god that the local police are actually investigating any and all breaches."

"Trump needs to stay protected at all costs. Especially over these next 40 days," an individual penned. Another opined, "I don't know if Trump should trust the authority at this point."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.