CNN alters controversial homicide arrest headline after saying Jewish protester 'fell and hit his head'

CNN changed a headline on Thursday following outrage over their report about an arrest being made for the death of a Jewish man at a protest in Los Angeles earlier this month. 

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department announced that Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, had been taken into custody and charged with involuntary manslaughter related to the death of Paul Kessler on Nov. 5. Investigators with the department allege that Alnaji caused Kessler, a 69-year-old pro-Israel protester, to knock his head onto the concrete when he fell, which resulted in brain hemorrhaging that led to his death hours later in the hospital. Some witnesses have told Fox News Digital that the pro-Palestinian protester struck Kessler with his megaphone.

According to the Wayback Machine, CNN’s original headline read, "Arrest made in death of Jewish protester who fell and hit his head." However, hours later, it changed.

"Arrest made in death of Jewish protester in California after confrontation over Israel-Hamas war," the new headline reads.

CNN changed its headlines on Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji's arrest for Paul Kessler's death on Thursday. (CNN)

NBC NEWS CHANGES HEADLINE AFTER OMITTING MAN KILLED AT PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTEST WAS JEWISH

The update followed intense online backlash from people accusing the news organization of bias.

"If all he did was fall and hit his head, why is anyone being arrested? Is the state of critical thinking today such that no one is expected to analyze nonsense headlines like this?" BitChute senior policy officer Amy Peikoff asked. 

"There's no fixing this. Either journalists are doing it on purpose or they're too far gone to know the difference. Either way," Sen. Ted Cruz's national security advisor Omri Ceren wrote.

National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker agreed, "The bias is real."

"They are also not saying that the suspect is a California college ‘professor.’ There's no fixing universities either," Daily Signal contributor Mike Gonzalez wrote, noting he's a computer science professor at Ventura County Community College.

Root Ventures partner Lee Edwards commented, "So weird. If he fell and hit his head, why was someone arrested?"

Loay Alnaji's mugshot. (Ventura County Sheriff's Department)



Loay Alnaji can be seen carrying the megaphone allegedly used to strike Paul Kessler, knocking the Jewish man to the ground. (Provided to Fox News Digital)



Loay Alnaji was arrested in the death of 69-year-old Jewish man Paul Kessler. (Provided to Fox News Digital)

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CNN previously updated a headline regarding its original coverage of Kessler’s death. A Nov. 7 article was originally titled "Man in California dies after suffering head injury at pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations" according to the Wayback Machine. Hours later, the article was reedited to "Jewish man dies from head injury following ‘interaction’ with pro-Palestinian demonstrator in California, authorities say."

A CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital the headline was updated to be stronger and clearer. 

Kessler died hours after a confrontation with Alnaji during a rally on Nov. 5. (Fox News Digital)

Kessler's autopsy at the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury and the manner of death to be homicide, per the office's press release. 

Alnaji is currently incarcerated at Ventura County Jail on $1,000,000 bail. His first appearance at Ventura County Superior Court is scheduled for November 20.

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Fox News' Christina Coulter contributed to this report.

Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @lmkornick.