NPR admits Columbus shooting story may be inaccurate: 'Some facts reported ... may later turn out to be wrong'

NPR wrote it may be reporting "wrong" information in its report on the Columbus police shooting incident on Tuesday, in an unusual acknowledgment that breaking news reporting on viral, emotional incidents is often rife with misinformation.

A police officer fatally shot 15-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant, whom bodycam footage showed was attacking two other women with a knife. Like numerous other outlets, NPR elected to focus on race in its headline, writing, "Columbus Police Shoot And Kill Black, Teenage Girl."

"This is a developing story," the NPR disclaimer at the bottom states. "Some facts reported by the media may later turn out to be wrong. We will focus on reports from police officials and other authorities, credible news outlets and reporters who are at the scene, and we will update as the situation develops."

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The Daily Caller's Shelby Talcott flagged the correction, noting at the time it had not been updated with information about the officer's bodycam video. It is now included.

The lead sentence of the story currently reads, "A 16-year-old [sic] Black girl was fatally shot by an officer outside her home after she called the police for help on Tuesday afternoon, according to her family."

It does not mention until eight paragraphs in that Bryant appeared to be wielding a knife as she launched herself into others in front of the police.

NPR told Fox News in a statement that it adds disclaimer language to stories as a nod to its audience.

"NPR has added disclaimer language to developing stories since June of 2016 during the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida," a spokesman said. "We believe responsible news outlets should acknowledge that reports can change as stories develop and more facts become known. We are thinking of our audience: we want readers to know they’re getting the best information we have at the time & that it will continue to be updated as more facts are gathered. This note is even more important now when people are inundated with information from so many sources."

Police were called to the scene around 4:30 p.m. on a report of someone attempting to stab others at a home. It is unclear who made the call, although Bryant's aunt claimed her niece who wound up being shot was the one who asked for help.

The shooting occurred around the time of the reading of the Derek Chauvin trial verdict. The former Minneapolis police officer was convicted on murder and manslaughter charges in the death of George Floyd, the Black man whose neck he pinned to the ground with his knee for nearly 10 minutes.

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Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther called the situation a tragedy but defended the officer involved.

"It’s a tragic day in the city of Columbus. It's a horrible, heartbreaking situation," Ginther said Tuesday night. "The city of Columbus lost a 15-year-old girl today. We know based on this footage, the officer took action to protect another young girl in our community. But a family is grieving tonight. And this young 15-year-old girl will never be coming home."

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump falsely claimed on Twitter that Bryant was "unarmed" during the shooting. It has not been deleted. Crump made a similar false claim about the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wis.

Social media affords journalists the ability to rapidly respond to breaking news stories. That often has its downsides, as the rush to judgment often leads to inaccuracy, such as in the infamous Covington Catholic incident at the Lincoln Memorial.

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Washington Post opinion journalist Radley Balko deleted a tweet Tuesday declaring, "They shot the kid who called for help. No hesitation policing." He admitted Wednesday it was "premature" and was "holding off until we know more."

Far-left commentator Keith Olbermann, known for his reliance on obscenities and histrionics, declared the Columbus police had "murdered" Taylor and claimed officers ahd then taunted people in the surrounding neighborhood.

Fox News' Paul Best and David Aaro contributed to this report. This article was updated with a comment from NPR.