News orgs circulate Facebook profile, photos of unconfirmed shooter
by Jeff Sonderman
Published Dec. 14, 2012 3:35 pm
Updated Dec. 14, 2012 7:52 pm
Reporters and producers around the country, frantically searching for information online about the alleged school shooter, found what seemed like a match. Ryan Lanza, 24, was believed responsible for the deaths of 27 people in Newtown, Conn., at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The Facebook profile showed a Ryan Lanza from Newtown, Conn., who currently lives in Hoboken, N.J. — a male who looks like he’s in his 20s. The photo fits the description, so countless news orgs ran with it in stories and tweets.
Hours later, there were reports that Adam Lanza, 20, was the shooter, not his brother Ryan. The AP’s latest report explains that “earlier, a law enforcement official mistakenly transposed the brothers’ first names.”
NJ.com is reporting “former Jersey Journal staff writer Brett Wilshe said he has spoken with Ryan Lanza of Hoboken, who told Wilshe the shooter may have had his identification.”
https://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/198262/news-orgs-circulate-facebook-profile-of-the-wrong-ryan-lanza/
Within minutes Facebook had several hate profiles for Ryan Lanza. Later the hate sites for Adam Lanza were created.
They rushed to hate based on rumors. Is this what “social media” is for?
the new normal
look at Ridgewood Bombase and the BOE set up his phoney blog to “Hate ” on PJ , it backfired because Bombase is such a jerk and a bully wanna be
I hope Ryan Lanza sues every media outlet that reported his name in error.