Hackers broke into the FoxNews.com's Twitter account for political news early Monday and used it to announce falsely that President Barack Obama had been assassinated.

Obama was "shot twice at a Ross' restaurant in Iowa while campaigning. RIP Obama, best regards to the Obama family," read one of several Twitter messages posted on @FoxNewsPolitics early Monday.

"We wish @joebiden the best of luck as our new President of the United States. In such a time of madness, there's light at the end of tunnel," the last in the series of tweets said later.

An article on FoxNews.com confirmed the hack.

One of the false messages said, "it's a sad 4th of July ... The shooter will be found." That message encouraged Twitter users to repost the message on their own Twitter accounts, which would spread the fake news. Several users did just that.

The tweets generated headlines around the world, criticisms and mockery on Twitter, with firebrand liberal TV host Keith Olbermann frantically tweeting to many individual Twitter users that Obama is fine. He asked Twitter users not to re-post the messages.

The first of the false tweets about Obama were posted around 2 a.m. ET.

Twitter spokeswoman Jodi Olsen said the company did not comment on individual accounts, declining to answer CNN questions about whether @FoxNewsPolitics had been hacked or why the account of the alleged hackers was suspended.