Claim:
A video authentically shows holding cells inside a Walmart store with signs reading “shoplifter detention” and “awaiting police.”
Rating:
A rumor that circulated online in early November 2025 claimed a video showed a Walmart store with holding cells for alleged shoplifters. Partially legible signs on the cells read “shoplifter detention” and “awaiting police.” A woman’s voice audible in the video referenced the cells as a “shoplifter detention area.”
On Oct. 31, a user managing the Branson Area Breaking News Facebook page posted (archived) a video with the caption, “Walmart shoppers were stunned today after spotting new ‘holding cells’ near the front of the Branson Supercenter, where suspected shoplifters are reportedly kept until police arrive.” The clip had received around 20 million views as of Nov. 4.
The Branson Area Breaking News YouTube account featured the same video (archived) with the title, “Branson Walmart shoppers were stunned after spotting new ‘holding cells’ for suspected shoplifters.” That clip had more 6 million views.
Other users shared this same rumor, sometimes with captions indicating they believed it was genuine, on (archived) Facebook (archived), Instagram (archived), TikTok (archived) and X (archived).
In short, the video showing the alleged Walmart holding cells was entirely fake and generated with an artificial-intelligence tool. Branson Area Breaking News is a satirical publication, as evidenced by the disclaimers on its Facebook and YouTube accounts. For example, the YouTube channel description reads, “We are a world renowned satirical news organization.”
As a Facebook community note author pointed out, the video displayed blurring over a logo that would normally alert viewers of the clip’s AI origins. That label possibly referenced OpenAI’s newly released video generation model Sora 2.
Snopes contacted the page’s manager via Messenger to ask whether they used the Sora 2 tool to create the video and will update this article if we receive further information.
Other fake Walmart videos from same creator
In the days after Branson Area Breaking News published the Walmart holding cells video, it posted several other AI-created clips also about the retail giant.
One inauthentic video from Nov. 1 claimed to show hundreds of alligators entering a Branson-area Walmart.
Another AI-generated clip also posted Nov. 1 depicted an alleged Walmart store policy charging customers $2 for checking out their items with a cashier, while self-checkout lanes remained free.
A third fake video purportedly showed hundreds of people stealing products from a Branson-area Walmart and loading the items in their cars.
‘Margaret’ from Branson Area Breaking News
The Branson Area Breaking News Facebook page’s owner identified themself only as “Margaret” in our past communications.
In July, a reporter for local TV news station KOLR interviewed “Margaret,” who told the station she wished to keep her name anonymous. The report also addressed the fact that some users don’t understand that the page’s content isn’t real:
Margaret said some people don’t realize the page is satire, and even those who do realize the humor sometimes still get upset with select content.
“I don’t let the negativity bother me,” she said. “The positive comments and messages far outweigh the negative ones. And honestly, part of the art of satire is making stories just believable enough to spark those reactions.”
Margaret said she enjoys when people think BABN’s stories are real news.
“It makes the page even more fun,” she said. “Some of them argue, some get upset, and some eventually figure it out and join in on the fun. The page is clearly labeled as satire. I encourage everyone to read the tagline.
Snopes has addressed similar satirical claims from Branson Area Breaking News in the past, including that an image showed hundreds of black bears taking over U.S. Highway 65 near Branson, as well as a rumor that McDonald’s opened its first all-you-can-eat buffet in Branson.
For background, here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources calling their output humorous or satirical.
