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Fact check: No evidence of serial killer on the loose in Charlotte, police say

Hannah Hudnall   | Paste BN

The claim: There's a serial killer in Charlotte targeting young women

Social media users are warning of a serial killer on the loose in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

"Serial Killer on da loose (sic) in Charlotte targeting young women," reads an Oct. 31 Facebook post. "Y'all be safe and keep dat iron on ya."

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The post garnered more than 2,000 likes in two days. A version on TikTok garnered more than 500,000 views in two days. Similar iterations have been shared on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Several posts mention specific deaths in Charlotte involving young women and girls, claiming they are the work of the same serial killer. But the claim is false. Charlotte police said these posts are inaccurate and there is no link between the cases cited in the posts.

Paste BN reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment.

No evidence of serial killer in Charlotte

On Nov. 1, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released a statement on Twitter debunking the social media claims about a serial killer.

"The posts referenced death investigations, claiming them to be linked. These posts have inaccurate details and are spreading misinformation," the department said. "Several of the cases referenced are overdoses with no foul play suspected. There is no evidence at this time that any of the cases are linked. 

"If there is an actual risk to the public, the CMPD always notifies the community with verified information."

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Local outlets such as WBTV, WCNC and WSOC-TV have reported on the debunked claims.

Paste BN has previously debunked numerous false claims of serial killers in locations across the country.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that there's a serial killer in Charlotte targeting young women. Charlotte police said the claims are inaccurate and there is no evidence the cases cited online are linked.

Our fact-check sources:

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