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NOT REAL NEWS: A look at what didn’t happen this week

In this Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020 file photo, debris remains on the sidewalks in front of buildings damaged in a Christmas Day explosion in Nashville, Tenn. On Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting the explosion was caused by a missile or some kind of directed energy weapon. Surveillance video from a Metro Nashville Police Department camera at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and Commerce Street captured the explosion and offers proof that the blast came from a parked recreational vehicle. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
In this Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2020 file photo, debris remains on the sidewalks in front of buildings damaged in a Christmas Day explosion in Nashville, Tenn. On Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly asserting the explosion was caused by a missile or some kind of directed energy weapon. Surveillance video from a Metro Nashville Police Department camera at the intersection of 2nd Avenue North and Commerce Street captured the explosion and offers proof that the blast came from a parked recreational vehicle. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

By Associated Press 14 min read

A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts:

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Nashville explosion was caused by a bomb, not a missile

CLAIM: Video shows that Nashville explosion was caused by a missile or some kind of directed energy weapon.

THE FACTS: The explosion was caused by a bomb inside a parked recreational vehicle in downtown Nashville.