Statements have been released by the legal team representing Mustapha Kharbouch, a Brown University student who was falsely accused on social media of involvement in the recent mass shooting on campus.

Authorities have since identified the actual suspect, and there is no evidence linking Kharbouch to the attack.

In a formal press statement, Kharbouch’s attorneys said their client has been subjected to an intense and harmful online smear campaign following the shooting, which left two students dead and several others injured.

The legal team emphasized that Mustapha Kharbouch is a respected and exemplary member of the Brown University community, describing him as an exceptional student and an engaged global citizen.

They stated that, for more than a week, Kharbouch was targeted by a disturbing wave of racist, Islamophobic, and anti-Palestinian harassment, including efforts to falsely associate him with the tragedy solely because of his Palestinian identity.

According to the statement, these baseless allegations not only damaged Kharbouch’s reputation, but also risked diverting law enforcement attention from legitimate investigative leads at a critical time.

The legal team confirmed that, prior to the identification of the actual suspect, they fully cooperated with law enforcement, responding to inquiries regarding Kharbouch’s whereabouts on the day of the shooting.

The attorneys directly attributed the online attacks to anti-Palestinian racism, stating that bad-faith actors attempted to assign blame to Kharbouch based solely on his ethnicity and political advocacy.

They warned that such narratives do not merely harm one individual, but also serve to vilify Arab and Muslim communities more broadly and contribute to a dangerous climate of hate.

The statement referenced previous acts of violence fueled by similar rhetoric, including the killing of 6-year-old Wadea al-Fayoume in Chicago and the 2023 shooting of three Palestinian-American students in Vermont, one of whom was affiliated with Brown University.

Following the spread of misinformation by far-right online influencers, several Brown University webpages that referenced Kharbouch were temporarily removed.

His legal team said this was a standard safety precaution taken to protect individuals who have been doxxed and subjected to credible threats. They stressed that no one should be forced to endure harassment, death threats, or fear simply because of their identity.

Now that the suspect has been identified, the legal team expressed hope that Kharbouch—and the broader Brown University community—can begin to heal and grieve without further misinformation or harassment.

In a personal statement, Mustapha Kharbouch described the experience as deeply traumatic:

“The past few days have been an unimaginable nightmare. I woke up on Tuesday morning to unfounded, vile, Islamophobic, and anti-Palestinian accusations being directed toward me online. Instead of grieving with my community in the aftermath of the horrible shooting, I received non-stop death threats and hate speech.”

Kharbouch added that while his experience was painful, it reflects a broader pattern faced by marginalized communities:

“This is a story every Arab, Muslim, Palestinian, and marginalized person knows all too well. We should not live in a world where this is acceptable or normal.”

He reaffirmed his commitment to speaking out against racism and injustice, stating that he would not be silenced for his identity or his advocacy for Palestinians.

Kharbouch also expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support he has received from friends, faculty, staff, and strangers, saying those messages have helped restore his faith in a world that stands firmly against hate in all its forms.