Baseless theories promoted Sunday by right-wing influencer Laura Loomer about the apparent attack on Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee Amy Acton fell apart almost immediately once details about the alleged attacker began to emerge.

Acton, who served as Ohio's health director under Republican Gov. Mike DeWine during the COVID-19 pandemic and became a nationally recognized public-health figure, is the Democratic nominee in this year's race for Ohio governor.

A spokesperson for Acton said the Democratic hopeful was "lunged at" by an armed attacker "injuring multiple people" while she attended the Canfield Fair near Youngstown. Less than an hour after Acton's campaign broke the news, Loomer suggested the incident was staged, later questioning whether Democrats were "trying to pull a fast one on Ohio voters" (X post, X post).

The Mahoning County Sheriff's Office, however, soon confirmed the arrest of 38-year-old Patrick Havas in connection with the incident. Havas was charged with two counts of assault and one count of disorderly conduct, and according to the sheriff's office, he was being held without bond as of Sunday (inmate records: ).

The Vindicator, a local Ohio news outlet, identified one past conviction in Mahoning County stemming from a 2008 arrest for disorderly conduct and petty theft, the latter of which was ultimately dismissed ().

"In that case, Havas was accused of stealing three videos from the Canfield Giant Eagle — 'The Untouchables,' 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'Casino Royale,' court records show," The Vindicator's report reads.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Acton's former boss in the state health department, released a statement Sunday afternoon regarding the alleged attack.

"Fran and I are thankful that Dr. Amy Acton was not hurt, and we send our thoughts to those who were injured. We spoke to Dr. Acton this afternoon and she said to share with Ohioans that she is OK," the statement from DeWine reads, as The Vindicator reported.

"We are grateful for the quick work of the Ohio State Highway Patrol and other law enforcement on the scene at the Canfield Fair today when a man tried to forcefully push himself toward Dr. Acton as she was speaking and injured other attendees at the Mahoning County Democratic Party booth."

The episode is the latest example of how quickly unverified claims about political violence can spread on social media in the final stretch of a high-profile campaign, before official accounts from law enforcement become available.

Despite her frequent controversial remarks, Loomer has continued to wield "breathtaking influence" in the Trump administration, having played an outsized role in the administration's mass firings and immigration policies ().