Newtown Conspiracy Theory; Florida Professor Claims Shooting a Government Ploy
A professor from Florida Atlantic University wrote in a blog a conspiracy theory that the shooting in Newtown, Conn. did not happen as it was reported by the media.
Communications professor James Tracy posted his thoughts to his conspiracy blog Memory Hole on Dec. 24, 2012.
"While it sounds like an outrageous claim, one is left to inquire whether the Sandy Hook shooting ever took place-at least in the way law enforcement authorities and the nation's news media have described," the 47-year-old professor wrote.
The tragedy that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary school in December left 27 people dead including the gunman who killed himself. Tracy suggested that it was just a ploy to push anti-gun legislation.
"As documents relating to the Sandy Hook shooting continue to be assessed and interpreted by independent researchers there is a growing awareness that the media coverage of the massacre of 26 children and adults was intended primarily for public consumption to further larger political ends," he wrote.
Tracy's claims included that there were multiple shooters at the scene, authorities lied about the number of people killed and that President Barack Obama knew about it beforehand. Tracy suggested on a radio broadcast that the president had "crisis actors" that were ready when the incident happened in order to rally support for further gun control, according to Yahoo News.
Florida Atlantic University is trying to distance itself from Tracy, who has been an instructor at the school for 10 years.
"James Tracy does not speak for the university. The website on which his post appeared is not affiliated with FAU in any way," said media director Lisa Metcalf, as reported by The Sun Sentinel.
It does not appear that Tracy will apologize any time soon as his claims were criticized on his blog.
"How can you be that insensitive to these family members just because you want to promote some whacked out theory, that the government wants to take your guns," wrote blog commenter Brett Dale.
