A video circulating on social media that appears to show a man shooting a handgun in Caledon was never filmed in the town — or anywhere in Canada — Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed.
The force said Monday that its Criminal Investigation Branch reviewed the footage and traced its origin to the United States. The clip, which depicts a man firing a handgun multiple times in a rural area, has been shared widely online with claims it shows a shooting in Caledon.
"The video did not occur in Caledon"
Police did not mince words in dismissing the footage's supposed connection to the community.
The OPP Criminal Investigation Branch has reviewed the video and investigated its origin. Investigators have determined that the video did not occur in Caledon or anywhere within Ontario or Canada. The video has been confirmed to have originated in the United States
the OPP said in a statement reported by Global News.
The OPP reminds the public to be cautious when sharing unverified content on social media, as it can contribute to misinformation and unnecessary concern within the community
police added.
A broader struggle with misinformation
The OPP's warning lands amid growing evidence that Canadians are worried about what they see online.
Last month, Statistics Canada released an Insights on Canadian Society study examining where Canadians get their news, how often they encounter misleading information, and whether people find it harder to tell truth from falsehood. The agency reported that 80 per cent of Canadians feel they encounter misleading, false or inaccurate information online at least once a month.
The study, released May 13, also looked at the relationship between misinformation, confidence in Canadian media and trust in others.
Sixty-one per cent of Canadians said they were very or extremely concerned about online misinformation in 2025, while 47 per cent reported it has become harder to distinguish between true and false news compared with three years earlier.
Canadians of all ages reported similar difficulties telling truth from falsehood, the study found, though where they turn for news varies sharply by generation.
Where Canadians get their news
News organizations were the most common source of news or information, cited by 66 per cent of Canadians, followed by close contacts at 62 per cent, social media platforms at 54 per cent and television programming at 52 per cent. Radio and print media trailed at 38 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.
The generational divide was pronounced. More than three-quarters of Canadians aged 75 and older — 78 per cent — relied on news organizations for information, compared with 49 per cent of those aged 15 to 24. Among Canadians under 35, social media was the leading news source at 78 per cent, a figure that fell to 19 per cent among those 75 and older.
What Caledon residents should do
For residents who encountered the video or shared it with friends and neighbours, the message from police is straightforward: verify before you share.
The OPP is encouraging anyone who sees content claiming to show criminal activity in Caledon to check with official police channels before passing it along. There was no shooting in Caledon connected to the video, and police say spreading the clip further only adds unnecessary alarm in the community.
