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Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting conspiracy theories

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The official accounts of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting are disputed by a number of conspiracy theories.[1] Proponents of these conspiracy theories question the circumstances of the shooting with Adam Lanza as the sole perpetrator and are using early media reports that included inconsistencies about the identity of the shooter, wrong photos, incorrect location of victims, [2] weapons used[3] and other misinformation[4][5] as evidence for their claims. Others have suggested the shooting was orchestrated by government officials for political reasons,[6] similar to some 9/11 conspiracy theories. The theories alleging government involvement in the attack claim that it was set up to push stricter gun control laws.

United States government involvement

Some conspiracy theories have alleged that the shooting was a hoax [7] and a false flag operation staged by the United States government.[8][unreliable source?] Others claim the attack is being used by politicians to push through new gun control legislation,[9][unreliable source?][10][11] or to otherwise persecute gun owners and survivalists.[12]

Gene Rosen, a Newtown resident who was reported to have sheltered six Sandy Hook students and a bus driver in his home during the shooting, has been subject to harassment online alleging he was complicit in a government coverup,[13] among other things.[14] Some journalists have cited such incidents as part of a "Sandy Hook Truther Movement" analogous to the 9/11 Truth movement.[15][16][17] A writer for the Calgary Herald reported that the movement self-identifies as "Operation Terror."[18]

The father of victim Emilie Parker, Robbie Parker -- after doing a CNN interview in the day proceeding the shooting -- became the target of much internet hate [19] by people claiming his interview appeared heavily staged.

Some conspiracy theorists have argued that a six-year-old victim of the shooting subsequently appeared in a photograph with President Barack Obama.

James Tracy, a professor at Florida Atlantic University who teaches a course on conspiracy theories, has suggested the shooting either did not actually occur or occurred very differently than accounted in mainstream reports, claiming political motives for the coverup.[20][21] His allegations were strongly criticized by Patricia Llodra, a Newtown selectwoman.[22] Additionally, Florida Atlantic president Mary Jane Saunders issued a statement that Tracy's views were "not shared by" the university.[23] In response to his comments, the university has opened an investigation of Tracy, who has tenure.[24] Chan Lowe of the Sun-Sentinel speculated that the comments were a publicity stunt by Tracy.[25] Tracy later declined an appearance on CNN with Anderson Cooper, suggesting that Cooper wanted to bring him and his family members harm by identifying him in a prior broadcast.[26][27]

While Tracy has since withdrawn some of his suggestions, conceding that real deaths occurred in the shooting,[28] other sources have continued to claim that the entire event was a hoax.[16] A video similarly questioning official accounts of the shooting received several million views on YouTube within a week of its posting,[17] although the video has since been modified to display a disclaimer explaining that its creators "in no way claim this shooting never took place, or that people did not lose their lives."[29][unreliable source?]

Israeli involvement

An opinion article on Press TV, an Iranian state media network, attributed the shooting to "Israeli death squads." The author speculated that the attacks were an act of "revenge" for the perceived cooling of Israel–United States relations under President Obama, especially as a response to Obama's decision to nominate former senator Chuck Hagel, a perceived critic of Israel, for the position of United States Secretary of Defense.[30] The story, which relied on the testimony of an American politician associated with Neo-Nazism, was widely criticized in American media as Iranian propaganda.[12][31]

Several other conspiracy theories have suggested Israeli or Jewish involvement. These theories have been called anti-semitic.[12][32]

Additional conspirators

Ben Swann, a Cincinnati news anchor for Fox19, has suggested on his personal YouTube channel that Adam Lanza was accompanied by another shooter; he has made similar claims about the Aurora shooting and the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting from earlier in 2012.[33][34] Other theories have posited as many as four shooters were present.[35] Some such reports may have been influenced by early reporting of the events.[12][unreliable source?]

Relationship to LIBOR scandal

Other conspiracy theories have focused on the fact that Adam Lanza's father was an executive with GE Energy Financial Services.[12][36] According to these theories, Lanza's father was supposed to testify before the Senate Banking Committee with information about the Libor scandal, but no such hearings were scheduled. Similar claims had been made about the father of James Eagan Holmes, the suspected perpetrator of the 2012 Aurora shooting.[12][37]

Responses

Writing about the Sandy Hook conspiracy theories, Benjamin Radford argued that most conspiracy theorists who allege contradictions in official accounts ignore contradictions in their own accounts, citing research from the University of Kent that conspiracy theorists selectively focus on or ignore particular details in order to fit their preferred narrative.[38][39] The conspiracy theories have also been called evidence of "the need for a national debate on mental illness."[18]

The Washington Times ran an editorial critical of the conspiracy theories and a "conspiracy culture" in the United States that leads people to ignore difficult truths.[40]

See also

References

  1. ^ Vancouver Sun January 16, 2013. "Conspiracy theorists claim Sandy Hook tragedy is elaborate government hoax, Edmonton Journal". Edmontonjournal.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Smith, Sydney (December 17, 2012). "Media Mess-Ups: Who's Who of Sandy Hook School Shooting Reporting Errors, Part 1". iMediaEthics. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  3. ^ Andrew Evans (2012-12-18). "How the Media Got Newtown Wrong". Freebeacon.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  4. ^ "Misinformation can derail murder debate". Tennessean.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  5. ^ Simon Houpt. "Messy media coverage of Connecticut shooting leaves trail of misinformation". Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  6. ^ By AP / Michael Virtanen (2012-11-26). "N.Y. State Lawmakers Pass First U.S. Gun Control Bill Since Sandy Hook, TIME". Nation.time.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  7. ^ Vancouver Sun January 16, 2013 (2013-01-11). "Conspiracy theorists claim Sandy Hook tragedy is elaborate government hoax, The Vancouver Sun". Vancouversun.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ McCarson, Matt (14 December 2012). "Newtown Connecticut Elementary Shooting Is a Staged False Flag Against Gun Owners and Preppers". InfoSalvo.com. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Sandy Hook conspiracy cult: Shootings a hoax staged to pass gun control laws". Globalnewsdesk.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  10. ^ Wednesday January 16, 2013 6:26 PM By Luke Hammill. "Sandy Hook conspiracy theories spread in wake of Newtown tragedy". Newyork.newsday.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ Ferguson, Christopher J. "Sandy Hook Shooting: Why Did Lanza Target a School?". Ideas.time.com. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Bennett, Dashiell (18 December 2012). "Newtown Conspiracy Theories, Debunked". The Atlantic. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  13. ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (15 January 2013). "This man helped save six children, is now getting harassed for it". Salon. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  14. ^ Bennett-Smith, Meredith (15 January 2013). "Gene Rosen, Sandy Hook Hero, Harassed By Conspiracy Theorists Who Claim He's An Actor". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  15. ^ "Sandy Hook Hero Harassed by Burgeoning Truther Movement". Time. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  16. ^ a b Aravosis, John (15 January 2013). "Sandy Hook truthers claim the Newtown massacre never happened". Americablog. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  17. ^ a b Read, Max (15 January 2013). "Behind the 'Sandy Hook Truther' Conspiracy Video That Five Eight Million People Have Watched in One Week". Gawker. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  18. ^ a b Goodman, Lee-Anne (15 January 2013). "Conspiracy theorists claim Sandy Hook School mass shooting a 'government-sponsored' hoax". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  19. ^ Sandy Hook Truthers Say Robbie Parker Video Is Evidence Of Hoax
  20. ^ "New Europe Online". Neurope.eu. Retrieved 2013-01-17.
  21. ^ Tracy, James (24 December 2012). "The Sandy Hook Massacre: Unanswered Questions and Missing Information". Memory Hole. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  22. ^ "Newtown official furious after Florida professor makes outrageous conspiracy claims saying that Sandy Hook shooting may not have happened". Daily Mail. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  23. ^ Miller, Joshua Rhett (9 January 2013). "Sandy Hook community leader rips Florida professor who doubted massacre". Fox News. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  24. ^ Cortes, Ryan (16 January 2013). "James Tracy: FAU opens investigation, leaving him unsure of job status". University Press (Florida Atlantic University). Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  25. ^ Lowe, Chan (11 January 2013). "FAU prof's Sandy Hook conspiracy theory". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  26. ^ Tracy, James (12 January 2012). "Anderson Cooper's Anti-Conspiracy Tirade". Memory Hole. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  27. ^ Poladian, Charles (12 January 2013). "Newtown Conspiracy Professor Thinks Anderson Cooper Is Out To Harm Him". International Business Times. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  28. ^ "Conspiracy theory professor who said Sandy Hook tragedy never happened NOW concedes some 'people undoubtedly died'". Daily Mail. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  29. ^ "The Sandy Hook Shooting - Fully Exposed". YouTube. 7 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  30. ^ Duff, Gordon (18 December 2012). "Israeli death squads involved in Sandy Hook bloodbath: Intelligence analyst". Press TV. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  31. ^ Fisher, Max (18 December 2012). "Iran's state-run news network blames 'Israeli death squads' for Sandy Hook shooting". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  32. ^ Moynihan, Michael (27 December 2012). "Newtown Conspiracy Theories: Obama, Iran, and Other Culprits". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  33. ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (14 January 2013). "Sandy Hook truther-reporter?". Salon. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  34. ^ "Conspiracy theorists claim Sandy Hook tragedy is elaborate government hoax". The Vancouver Sun. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  35. ^ Freund, George (18 December 2012). "4th Shooter Discovered, Two Not One in Woods Behind Sandy Hook Element". Conspiracy Cafe. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  36. ^ Pearce, Matt (31 December 2012). "Body of Connecticut shooter Adam Lanza quietly claimed by his father". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  37. ^ Sarlin, Benjy (17 December 2012). "Newtown Conspiracy Hoax Spreads Fast Across Fringe". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  38. ^ Cite error: The named reference Radford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  39. ^ Parry, Wynne (27 January 2012). "Contradictions Don't Deter Conspiracy Theorists". LiveScience. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
  40. ^ "Editorial: A Conspiracy Culture". The Washington Times. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
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