A Saugerties man was arrested late Monday night after police responded to reports of a shooting in the village, an incident that sparked misinformation on social media.
John P.R. Jones, 35, was taken into custody after officers found him with a non-lethal weapon known as a ‘defense pistol.’ Police said Jones had sustained a self-inflicted head wound. No other injuries were reported, though a projectile from the pistol hit and damaged a windowpane at the Exchange Hotel. Jones has been charged and arraigned for menacing in the second degree. There are no indications of suicide, said Saugerties Police Chief Kenneth Swart.
“This is not a common occurrence,” said Village of Saugerties Mayor Bill Murphy, adding that he could not recall a similar incident during his tenure.
The incident began at 9:42 p.m. when local and county police received numerous reports of a shooting and a person with a head wound between Main Street and Partition Street. As the situation unfolded, there were numerous calls to 911 that alerted police to the incident. Simultaneously, social media lit up with speculation and fear, exacerbated by inaccurate information spreading on platforms such as Facebook and Nextdoor.
Murphy found out about the incident when a friend from Buffalo, NY, called and said they’d heard there was a mass shooting in Saugerties.
“They [said] they knew about it because it was on Facebook,” said Murphy, who immediately called Swart and confirmed the incident. Murphy, Swart, and Town Supervisor Fred Costello then created a group chat to stay updated. “Before the police had a chance to notify me and Fred, it was already out on social media,” he said.
While social media helped spread awareness of the incident, it also fueled fear and misinformation. Reports ranged from an active shooter situation to the village being on lockdown, which could have hindered police efforts, Murphy said. “Things got exaggerated which can have a negative impact. It could have kept the police from doing their job and that’s my concern,” he said.
Swart said he’s ‘right down the middle’ when it comes to social media, acknowledging its role in rapidly informing the public but cautioning against the spread of inaccurate information. “When someone posts something that they believe to be true and it’s not, that misinformation is like playing a game of telephone. It gets magnified each time it gets passed along.”
Zach Horton, a town board member running for reelection, echoed concerns about social media’s role, saying, “Social media generally does more harm than good.” Early Tuesday, Horton posted on Facebook to dispel false reports, including one that falsely claimed a hostage situation.
A 2022 article in The Guardian raised similar concerns about social media platforms like Nextdoor, which often amplify fear and misinformation. While the platform aims to build community cohesion, it can inadvertently foster paranoia and division. The report noted that Nextdoor has been accused of racial profiling and creating a sense of urban embattlement, particularly when discussions center on crime. Critics argue that the platform can morph into a space where misinformation spreads unchecked, fueled by users’ fear of crime or suspicion of outsiders.
Heidi Julien, a professor of information science at the University at Buffalo, highlighted the challenge of managing misinformation on social platforms. “Anyone can post anything on Nextdoor, and it could either be helpful or destructive,” she said. Julien, an expert in digital literacy, emphasized the importance of skepticism when evaluating digital information. The Overlook reached out to Nextdoor for comment, but did not receive a response.
When officers arrived on the scene, Jones fled north from Partition Street toward Lafayette Street and entered an apartment. After obtaining a warrant, the county’s emergency response team entered the home and found Jones suffering from facial wounds.
“It’s a possibility that he was struck with one of his own round projectiles,” Swart said.
Jones was treated at Health Alliance Hospital in Kingston, New York, released to police custody, and subsequently arraigned. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges are expected. Police noted that Jones was previously arrested in November for aggravated harassment.
“It got the message out there that there was an incident that was occurring in the Village and that by and large people stayed away from that,” Swart said, acknowledging that social media played a positive role in informing the community to stay clear of the area.
Amy Wu is a reporter covering Woodstock and Saugerties. Send correspondence to amy@theoverlooknews.com.
