"A horrible name for an event"—Internet reacts with concern as Tulsa Shootout trends on X after multiple New Year’s tragedies 

Tulsa, Oklahoma, is coming under fire for its contentious naming choice of its micro-sprint car race. The largest event of its kind in the world, the Tulsa Shootout goes back almost four decades.

This year alone marked several record-breaking feats, including the total amount of entries clocking in at 1,855, almost 1,800 of which checked in for race week, News On 6 has reported. Nonetheless, users are displeased with the name of the event, given the high death toll and countless individuals left injured in the first week of this year alone.

Here's what one user pointed out:

"#TulsaShootout is a horrible name for an event in the year 2025."

Scores online echoed the sentiments, with one after the other ridiculing Oklahoma for christening the event with the word "shootout."

"im so black I saw Tulsa shootout trending and thought it was another terrorist attack #TulsaShootout," one user stated.

"Maybe we shouldn’t be using “shootout” to describe an event y’know… #TulsaShootout," another opined.

"After the week we had, Oklahoma wanted to call a racing event "#TulsaShootout"?" a third user echoed.

"#TulsaShootout is trending and I thought it was another mass shooting. My f***** bad," yet another asserted.

While a handful of users shared their excitement over the decades-old event, an overwhelming chunk also expressed dissent over the name "Tulsa Shootout":

"Saw #TulsaShootout trending and my first thought was "Oh god how many dead" Turns out it's some racing thing or whatever?" someone shared.

"We had to hear news about not one, but two terror attacks at the start of 2025. Naming #TulsaShootout already gave nearly everyone on this site a heart attack," another echoed.

"I'm so hood I seen #TulsaShootout trending on Twitter and thought another attack on America was happening!" one more exclaimed.

Several online shared that upon seeing the trending hashtag and the words "Tulsa Shootout," their first thought was that there was another terror attack or mass shootout.

A recap of the first week of 2025: The Tulsa Shootout, the terrorism attack, and the Cybertruck bomber

The 40th Tulsa Shootout took place this week, and several prolific NASCAR drivers were in attendance, including Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Busch. In total, around 700 drivers competed in this year's games, with 43 states and four countries taking part, News on 6 has stated.

As for the New Year tragedies, on New Year's Day, an ISIS-aspirant plowed through the masses reveling on Baton Rouge in New Orleans, claiming the lives of 15 and leaving dozens critically injured. The incident has since been dubbed a premeditated act of terrorism, and officials are currently investigating the same.

The names of 13 out of the 15 victims have since been published, and they include the following, as reported by CBS News:

• Kareem Badawi, 23, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Martin Bech, 27, of New York City New York
• Andrew Dauphin, 26, of Montgomery, Alabama
• Nikyra Dedeaux, 18, of Gulfport, Mississippi
• William DiMaio, 25, of Holmdel, New Jersey
• Hubert Gauthreaux, 21, of Gretna, Louisiana
• Terrence Kennedy, 63, of New Orleans, Louisiana
• Reggie Hunter, 37, of Prairieville, Louisiana
• Nicole Perez, 27, of Metairie, Louisiana
• Brandon Taylor, 43, of Harvey, Louisiana
• Matthew Tenedorio, 25, of Picayune, Mississippi
• Elliot Wilkinson, 40, of Slidell, Louisiana
• Edward Pettifer, 31, of London

Trending

Just this Friday, a US Army veteran named Matthew Alan Livelsberger, 37, shot himself in the mouth outside the Trump International Hotel. The explosives inside his Tesla Cybertruck vehicle promptly exploded. While no one was found to be dead, seven people were left injured.

Several outlets are now reporting that the incident stemmed from his PTSD, as during his time on the line, his duty required him to kill and witness the demise of his peers.

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