Fact File: Video shows content creator shooting guns in U.S., not gang member from Ontario
Written by The Canadian Press on June 2, 2026
Posts shared to social media in the past week claimed to show video of a Bishnoi gang member firing guns in Caledon, Ont. The claims are false, as the original video was posted by a content creator who appears to be based in California. The Ontario Provincial Police say the video originated from the United States.
THE CLAIM
In a video shared to social media last week, a man in a black shirt and jeans fires a handgun multiple times into the air. At one point in the 12-second video, he holds what appears to be a semi-automatic rifle in his right hand.
“Another Bishnoi gang member caught shooting illegal firearms in Caledon Ontario,” an X user claimed in a post sharing the video on May 29 with around 12,000 likes.
The posts refer to the Bishnoi gang, which has ties to India and which the Canadian government lists as a terrorist entity.
The X account that made the claim frequently shares content related to the Bishnoi gang’s criminal activities and posts inflammatory content about South Asians.
In a post from May 31, the account shared a video of the same man and two others firing guns into a forested area.
“Bishnoi gang members shooting into the woods near Terra Cotta Conservation in Caledon where people hike and picnic,” the post reads. People’s Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier shared the post, along with a call for “a moratorium on immigration and a department of deportation.”
Other social media users repeated the claim linking the individuals to Bishnoi in several posts to Instagram, as well as Facebook.
THE FACTS
A Google reverse image search of a screenshot from the video led to the original May 26 post by Instagram creator @manish_sehrawat01, who posts firearms-related content.
The account appears to be run by a 22-year-old man whose Instagram lists his location as the United States.
The man’s Instagram posts show him posing next to a car with a California licence plate, in front of a U.S.-based business. He also shares celebratory messages about receiving permanent residency in the United States.
There is no evidence to suggest the Instagram creator is a member of the Bishnoi gang. He did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment.
On Monday, Ontario Provincial Police posted on social media to clarify the video was not filmed in Canada.
“Following a review by the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch, investigators have confirmed the video did not take place in Caledon or anywhere in Ontario or Canada and has been determined to have originated in the United States,” the police service wrote on X.
Police in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario have said they are investigating extortion targeting affluent members of the South Asian community that they believe are linked to people associated with the gang. The RCMP says it believes the gang orchestrated violent crimes against Sikh activists on Canadian soil.
An April 2026 report from the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada suggests the Bishnoi gang is one of several gangs using extortion to target the South Asian diaspora in Canada.
SOURCES
Claim posted to X May 29, 2026 (archived page, archived video), X May 31, 2026 (archived page, archived video), X June 1, 2026 (archived), Instagram May 30, 2026 (archived), Instagram May 31, 2026 (archived), Facebook May 30, 2025 (archived)
Dylan Robertson. What is the Bishnoi gang and why do some want it labelled a terrorist group? The Canadian Press website. Sept. 13, 2025 (archived)
Government of Canada lists the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity. Public Safety Canada via Government of Canada website. Sept. 29, 2025 (archived)
Original video posted by @manish_sehrawat01 to Instagram May 26, 2026 (archived)
Ontario Provincial Police Central Region X post from June 1, 2026 (archived)
Special Bulletin on money laundering associated with extortion directed at Canada’s South Asian diaspora. Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada via Government of Canada website. April 2026 (archived)
ABOUT CANADIAN PRESS FACT CHECKS
You can find out more about The Canadian Press here and about Canadian Press fact checks here. To reach our fact-checking team with any tips, corrections or comments, please email us at cpfactcheck@thecanadianpress.com.
Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press