Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooter Suspect Mistakenly Identified as Ryan Lanza

A Facebook photo of a Ryan Lanza was mistakenly identified as the shooter before confirmation by law enforcement officers in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting Friday, December 14, 2012

Ryan Lanza was previously identified as the shooter by network news and cable news networks at about 2:30 p.m. ET. Then at about 3:30 p.m. ET Fox News reported that Ryan Lanza was NOT the shooter. Fox News reported that the shooter was Adam Lanza, the brother of Ryan Lanza.

During mid-afternoon Friday, it was unknown if the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School was Adam Lanza or previously identified Ryan Lanza — believed to be a resident of Hoboken, New Jersey. Ryan Lanza’s hometown is Newtown, Connecticut. Police have reported that the shooter is dead inside the school, but have not released the identity of the shooter.

One of Ryan Lanza’s “LIKES” on his Facebook page is the fan page for “Mass Effect” — a series of science fiction action role-playing third-person shooter video games that is available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. The game is developed by the Canadian company BioWare. The mention of the violent video game initially led to a lot of speculation about a causal relationship of playing violent video games and the school shooting violence.

LATEST SUMMARY
Early unconfirmed reports are that 26 victims have been killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Twenty of the victims are believed to be kindergarten or first grade age. An entire kindergarten or first grade class is unaccounted for. A principal was reported to have been killed. The shooter was also reported to be dead inside the school. At least three people were reported to have been transported to nearby hospital(s) in critical condition. Later there injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening. The school incident early on was reported to be secure (and the public safe) by law enforcement officials, but there were reports that police were on some type of search at a home nearby, and possibly in New Jersey. Later it was reported that Nancy Lanza’s body was found at the home nearby. Including the shooter, 27 people are reported dead at the school. Nancy Lanza’s deaths brings the total dead to 28. There were unconfirmed reports of a second shooter or suspect. But these reports were probably erroneously generated from police wanting to question Ryan Lanza. He has been cleared. His father, Peter Lanza, has also been cleared. Earlier in the day, it was also erroneously reported that Peter Lanza had been killed.

Ryan and Adam Lanza’s mother Nancy Lanza was reported to be a teacher at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. later her association with the school was not clear. Mid-afternoon it was reported that one of the brothers shot his mother and most of the kindergarten students in her class. This was after Ryan Lanza was erroneously reported to be the shooter. Later it was clarified that Adam Lanza shot his mother, Nancy, at home, and then drove her car to the school and shot the people at the school. He then killed himself.

The Facebook page for a “Ryan Lanza” was taken down, and was then brought back up. Earlier updates on a “Ryan Lanza” Facebook feed stated …

“I’m on the bus home now it wasn’t me”

and

“Everyone shut the f#%@ up it wasn’t me”

No confirmation available whether this was the actual brother of Adam Ryan.

DISPATCH
Newtown police and firefighter paramedics responded about 9:30 a.m. Friday to reports of a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, 12 Dickinson Drive in Newtown. Police received a report that the shooter was still shooting near the office area. There are early reports that the shooting occurred during morning announcement, so the rest of the school was able to hear the gunfire that began near the office. The front glass at the school was shattered.

See also (the page that had pictures that were erroneously and widely reported by media to be the suspect Ryan Lanza) …
Facebook/rlanza