Republican lawmaker quietly deletes tweet claiming Kansas City Chiefs’ shooter is ‘illegal immigrant’

Several Republicans incorrectly attributed the shooting to a Kansas native who was arrested for alleged public intoxication

A Missouri Republican has quietly deleted a social media post boosting a bogus claim that one of the shooters involved in a mass shooting in Kansas City that left one dead and 22 others injured on Valentine's Day was an undocumented immigrant.

State Senator Denny Hoskins, who is currently running for Missouri Secretary of State, made a social media post pushing the misinformation before quietly deleting it once it had been debunked.

“I’d hope this first-hand experience with violent illegal immigrants & repeat violent offenders – children shot at a parade – will help them see the urgent need to close our borders, stop promoting Sanctuary Cities to violent illegal immigrants & end liberal catch & release policies for violent criminals,” Mr Hoskins posted on X/Twitter.

His post was a re-wording of one by Democratic state Senator Lauren Arthur, who issued her own tweet decrying the state's gun laws, according to local broadcaster KCTV5.

Ms Arthur's tweet highlighted Missouri's firearms legislation, noting that the state limits the ability for cities to impose their own firearm restrictions.

"I've spent a decade in [the Missouri legislature] fighting against efforts to make our state's permissive gun laws even worse. Many colleagues were there today. I'd hope this first-hand experience with gun violence — children shot at a parade — will help them see the urgent need for sensible gun laws," she wrote.

Mr Hoskins wasn't the only one pushing the bogus information; state Senators Nick Schroer and Rick Brattin — both Republicans — also shared similar sentiments in social media posts.

The social media account for the Missouri Freedom Caucus also shared a similar statement alongside a photo of Denton Loudermill, who was not arrested for the shooting but for alleged public intoxication and for failing to leave the scene of the shooting when ordered.

“At least one of those arrested is an illegal immigrant,” the Missouri Freedom Caucus said in the post. “Close our borders!”

Mr Denton is a native of Olathe, Kansas.

The Missouri Freedom Caucus later deleted the post and admitted it had incorrectly labeled him an undocumented immigrant.

“Denton is an Olathe native, a father of three & a proud @Chiefs fan,” the X/Twitter account of the Missouri Freedom Caucus admitted. “He’s not a mass shooter. Images of him being detained for being intoxicated & not moving away from the crime scene at the Chiefs rally have spread online. He just wants to clear his name.”

The Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden — who is running against Mr Hoskins for Secretary of State — rebuked his colleagues and demanded that they make public apologies.

“I would hope my colleagues who used his image with false and inflammatory rhetoric would apologize,” Mr Rowden posted. “[Mr Loudermill] absolutely deserves that.”