‘Insane’: Did the U.S. just launch airstrikes and kill 8 innocent people based on a random person’s tweet?

Ordinarily, we’d dismiss the notion that the U.S. military is getting targeting data from randos on X as too bizarre to be true. But this is the second Trump era, and what was preposterous just months ago is now everyday life.

So, here’s what happened. X user @VleckieHond appears to spend their time poring over satellite imagery of Yemen searching for Houthi bases. On Apr. 1, they identify what they believe to be an enemy base and post the exact coordinates on X:

Last one Northwest of Sana'a, 15.437790°, 44.156274°https://t.co/74h9FDf87U

— Vleckie (@VleckieHond) April 1, 2025

On Apr. 27 the U.S. Military launched airstrikes on that location, killing eight innocent people:

US Airstrikes on houses near a quarry, with 8 reported killed last night northwest of Sana'a. 15.437707°, 44.155308°https://t.co/edPOCPeyfH pic.twitter.com/KUznZ4nv7F

— Vleckie (@VleckieHond) April 28, 2025

Apparently riddled with guilt, @VleckieHond reports on what happened, describing it as a “severe mistake”. They go on to clarify they only ever thought it was a “possible” base and that “I should never have posted it”, going on to make two donations to MSF and the Yemen Data Project, and concludes: “I sincerely apologize for this error in my judgement, and it will never be my intention to spread false information here or elsewhere.” Well, it would have been nice for you to have that realization before eight people died!

To start I have made two donations, one to MSF and one the Yemen Data Project, totaling 500 euros, pic.twitter.com/LXS9cCXozm

— Vleckie (@VleckieHond) April 28, 2025

Now, there’s no definitive proof that the U.S. Military is sourcing strike coordinates from social media, failing to do any of their own reconnaissance, and randomly launching missiles into Yemen based on X posts – but the fact that these strikes precisely targeted these obscure buildings is a pretty big coincidence.

And, with Trump screaming blue murder about needing to stamp out the Houthis and little on-the-ground intelligence about where they’re located, why not just pick out some posts from social media and blow up that place? The reaction online has been, understandably, horror and anger:

Covering this on the show tomorrow morning. Insane. https://t.co/l6AuQGP8bF

— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) April 30, 2025

The person behind this account posted the coordinates of Yemeni civilians and listed them as Houthi targets. The Trump administration then bombed these coordinates.

Now the person behind this account is walking back his claims and talking about the few $ he donated to Yemen. https://t.co/XJT4mPLwPX

— پوپلزی (@JournalismPopal) April 30, 2025

So, people are mad that US used the coordinate by some random person and bombed the place, but this person make it like hes not part of the blame? And what he did? After the incident, he donated. What an evil thing to do. 8 innocent lives gone by this stupid Vleckie and US army. https://t.co/cFtoJsxJKT

— 🏴Amir Ariff🏴 (@Lameriff) April 30, 2025

We may never know what really happened here, but even in the best-case scenario the US military has bombed some random people’s houses with no connection to the Houthis for no reason. Sadly indiscrimate death from the sky at American hands is kind of a “dog bites man” story for the Middle East, but if it turns out to be true that this strike was based on a post from someone zero credentials, no expertise, and little-to-no morals we’ll be plumbing new depths of awful.