PM Says

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012 was a tragic event that claimed the lives of 20 children and six staff members.  Adam Lanza brought three weapons inside Sandy Hook Elementary School and left a 4^th shotgun in his vehicle, which he used to take his own life. It was one of the most tragic events that generated significant misinformation and conspiracy theories.

Some false claims circulated online in the aftermath of the shooting, including claims that the event was a hoax or a government conspiracy. Initially, there was confusion and conflicting reports about what capacity of weapons were used. While the overwhelming consensus among experts and authorities is that the shooting occurred as reported, there have been conspiracy theories and misinformation campaigns surrounding the events that took place. These false claims have caused pain and suffering to the victims’ families.

The controversy and conspiracy theories surrounding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting claim that the shooting was a hoax. There was also contradiction about whether Adam Lanza used a Bushmaster version AR-15 rifle in the shootings when that same weapon was reported to be found locked in the trunk of his car. A few days later, it was discovered to be a shotgun in the trunk of Lanza’s car and not an AR-15.

There have been numerous investigations from law enforcement and independent reviews. Courts have also ruled against some of the most prominent conspiracy theorists, finding their claims baseless and harmful. Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones lost two of several lawsuits filed against him by relatives of Sandy Hook victims.

The propaganda he spread insinuated that the Sandy Hook shooting Was a “flag operation” orchestrated by the government to push for gun control.  He also alleged the parents of the survivors were actors and that the massacre was staged. To date, this issue has not been resolved because Jones failed to comply with requests to produce documents related to his involvement in spreading lies about the deadly shooting.

Neil Postman stated when propaganda is not transparent about
its aims, it can be harmful, even when its intentions are well-meaning and designed to support a worthy cause. In the case of Alex Jones, his false narrative inflicted harm on the mourning families and general public. His statements were not justified yet, his fans and supporters confide is his words. As a result, the general public is patiently waiting for him to pay restitution to the victims affected by his misinformation. A Connecticut superior court judge found Jones liable after he refused to turn over documents ordered by the courts, including financial records.