Social media reports that a loaded handgun was found by a child on the toy aisle inside a local Wal-Mart store are not accurate.
Posts began circulating on Facebook that the handgun was found on the toy shelf at the Wal-Mart on US 70 in Clayton last Friday.
Clayton Police said they received a call around 7pm Saturday that a pellet gun had been removed from its packaging and had been relocated from another part of the store and left on a shelf in the toy section. The person could have been planning on shoplifting the item and may have left it on the shelf after changing their mind. The pellet gun was not loaded.
Clayton Police also responded to a report Friday morning that a gun had been found behind a business near Wal-Mart but the weapon turned out to be an air-soft gun.
Some comments on social media that the gun was found at the Wal-Mart at 40/42 and not at the location on US 70 were also unsubstantiated. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said they had not responded to any incidents at that location.
An estimated 62 to 72 percent of people who use social media are exposed to some form of fake news each day.
