A news story claiming that former NBA star Gilbert Arenas fought with George Zimmerman at a gun show in Orlando, Fla., was a hoax.
Satire site Empire Sports first published the report on Tuesday.
"Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Monday afternoon after a brief altercation with George Zimmerman as he attended a signing at a gun show in Orlando, Fla.," the article reads. "According to Lt. Juan Holysz of the Orlando Police Department, police were called to respond to an altercation at a restaurant on East Colonial Dr. in Orlando. When they arrived at the scene, Arenas had already been escorted outside by management."
The site describes itself as a "satirical and entertainment website," on its homepage.
"Empire Sports uses invented names in all its stories, except in cases when public figures are being satirized," the editorial staff writes. "Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental."
But some still thought the article was true, and two days later, the Zimmerman-Arenas piece had been shared a few thousand times.
"Why is he signing autographs?" one Facebook user posted. "I wonder how the world would feel if Jeffrey Dahmer was signing autographs at a culinary expo?"
"He might escape man's law, but not GOD law," another wrote.
"Doesn't sound like Zimmerman was at fault on this one," one more user posted online.
This wasn't the first satirical report written about Zimmerman this week - a South Carolina comedian recently wrote an article that the 30-year-old Sanford resident shot and killed himself by accident while reloading his firearm.
Zimmerman was acquitted of all murder charges in 2012 after he shot and killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin.
