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

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