They do happen, yes. When they happen, we tend to hear about them sooner than a month later on an internet forum. Precisely as you say. Nationwide media coverage.
I'm not dismissive of the incident you describe, Roz. Because it happened. I'm dismissive of the seeming obsession with posting these things that didn't happen. Please don't accuse me of being dismissive of things that have actually happened just because I've discovered that two things didn't.
There's enough in the world to be scared of without carelessly, some would say recklessly, passing on inaccurate rumours about stuff that hasn't happened.