Watch CBS News

Child was Behind Facebook Poll on Killing Obama

(AP / CBS)
Updated 12:24 p.m. ET

When a poll was posted to the popular social networking site Facebook asking if President Obama should be killed, the Secret Service launched an investigation.

Today they announced the results: Turns out a kid was behind the poll. And no criminal charges will be filed against him or his parents, according to the Associated Press, citing a Secret Service spokesman.

The poll, posted to the site over the weekend, asked, "should obama be killed?" The possible answers were "yes," "maybe," "if he cuts my health care" and "no."

At least 730 people took the user-generated poll before it was removed by Facebook. Results were not available because the third-party application used to post the poll was disabled.

Facebook said at the time that the person behind the poll had been banned from using the service.

Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan did not identify the child who posted the poll or release his or her age. He said agents had determined that he or she was not a threat to the president.

"Case closed," Donovan said, according to the AP. "I guess you could characterize it as a mistake."

In an email, Barry Schnitt, Facebook Director of Policy Communications, said, "we commend the Secret Service on their quick and thorough action and have complete confidence in whatever conclusion they have reached as a result."

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.