Following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing , vigilantes on Reddit wrongly identified a number of people as suspects . Notable among misidentified bombing suspects was Sunil Tripathi , a student reported missing before the bombings took place . A body reported to be Tripathi 's was found in Rhode Island 's Providence River on April 25 , 2013 , as reported by the Rhode Island Health Department . The cause of death was not immediately known , but authorities said they did not suspect foul play . The family later confirmed Tripathi 's death was a result of suicide . Reddit general manager Erik Martin later issued an apology for this behavior , criticizing the " online witch hunts and dangerous speculation " that took place on the website
Boston Marathon bombing
Boston Marathon bombing
Doxing