XXXTentacion death: False claims and conspiracy theories suggesting rapper still alive spread across social media

False reports claiming rapper XXXTentacion is still alive are spreading across the internet.

Various videos and posts claim that the singer's death was faked, a hoax or a case of mistaken identity. But the death has been extensively documented and officials have confirmed that the reports are true.

The singer, born Jahseh Dwayne Onfroy, was shot dead as he shopped for motorcyles in Miami. Soon after reports of the shooting surfaced, police confirmed that he had been taken to hospital but that he had died.

In a statement released on Twitter, the Broward Sheriff's Office said: "The adult male that was taken to the hospital has been pronounced dead.

"The adult male victim has been confirmed as 20 year old Jahseh Onfroy aka rapper XXXTentacion."

Despite that confirmation, numerous posts on Twitter, Instagram and other social networks claim that XXXTentacion is in fact alive. Many of them present what they claim to be evidence – but that evidence is misleading or entirely false.

One popular video being circulated on the internet appears to show the rapper saying the reports of his death were fake, and that they had been staged for a music video.

But the rapper had in fact shared that video as part of an Instagram live some time ago. It was made after video of XXXTentacion with a noose was posted to his Instagram feed – and that footage later appeared in the video for his track "Look At Me".

One re-post of the video on YouTube – under the title "XXXTENTACION GOES LIVE ON INSTAGRAM AND CONFIRMS THAT HE IS NOT DEAD" – has been viewed some 600,000 times.

Other posts reference claims by a Twitter user who said that the rapper had confirmed to her that she was alive. She has now deleted and retracted those posts, writing in new updates that "was lied to" and "sincerely apologises".

And yet more fake reports point to the graphic videos that have circulated of the aftermath of the shooting. Many claim that the crime scene depicted is not real, or that the person being shown is not in fact XXXTentacion – but the videos do appear to be real.