Archive · 24 Dec 2025
Palestinian Student Falsely Accused in Brown Shooting
A student named Mustapha Kharbouch was wrongly blamed for a shooting at Brown University.
People on the internet shared his picture and said he did it, even though he had nothing to do with the crime.
This happened because he wears a keffiyeh, a scarf that some people associate with Palestinians.
Because of this, he got a lot of hate messages and threats.
The real shooter was later found to be someone else.
A man named Zohran Mamdani, who will be the mayor of New York, talked to Mustapha and said he would protect people like him from this kind of hate.
Mustapha Kharbouch, a Palestinian student at Brown University, was falsely accused of being involved in a shooting that left two people dead and nine wounded.
The false accusations were spread online, leading to doxxing, death threats, and abuse against Kharbouch.
Zohran Mamdani, New York mayor-elect, condemned the misinformation and expressed support for Kharbouch.
The real shooter, Claudio Neves Valente, was identified and had no connection to Kharbouch.
Kharbouch's legal team cooperated with law enforcement and condemned the hateful campaign against him.
- Who
- Mustapha Kharbouch, a Palestinian student at Brown University, and Claudio Neves Valente, the actual shooter.
- What
- Kharbouch was falsely accused of being involved in a shooting at Brown University.
- When
- The shooting occurred on December 13, 2023, and Kharbouch was falsely accused shortly after.
- Where
- The shooting took place at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
- Why
- Kharbouch was targeted due to his pro-Palestinian activism and wearing a keffiyeh, which led to misinformation and false accusations.
- Victim
- Mustapha Kharbouch
- Accusation
- Falsely blamed for Brown University shooting
- Consequences
- Doxxing, death threats, and abuse
- Supporter
- Zohran Mamdani, New York mayor-elect
- Actual Shooter
- Claudio Neves Valente
- Date of Shooting
- December 13, 2023
- Location of Shooting
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
- Victims
- Two killed, nine wounded