The LookoutAurora theater shooting victims harassed by conspiracy theorists
Some survivors of the mass shooting in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater last year have been "relentlessly" harassed by conspiracy theorists who believe the shooting never happened, according to a court document.
In a court filing this week, Deputy District Attorney George Brauchler wrote that "proponents of purported 'conspiracies' ... have contacted victims in this case, some of whom have even gone so far as to recruit other members of the public to contact the victims and to publicly post maps with the home addresses and phone numbers of the victims on various social media sites."
The targeted people have expressed concerns about their "privacy and personal safety," the district attorney continued.
Lawyers for shooting suspect James Holmes have asked the Arapahoe County judge for a gag order preventing any materials in the case from being given to the press, arguing that doing so could prejudice a jury. The district attorney wants the gag order lifted, but asked in the filing that victims' names be censored out so they can avoid further harassment. The judge has yet to rule on whether or not to lift the gag order.
Holmes is charged on 166 counts of murder and other crimes in the July shooting that killed 12 and injured nearly 60.
Some residents of Newtown, Conn., have also been harassed by conspiracy theorists after the shooting there in December that left 20 children and six adults dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
