CORRECTION APPENDED
As the news of a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut hit the newswires, Twitter users quickly created hashtags to follow the news, each showing a different mindset and reaction.
Here is a description of most prominent and likely most enduring hashtags:
#RyanLanza was named for the suspected shooter, as reported by CNN. Twitter users were quick to post what they believe is Lanza's Facebook profile and a YouTube video of an interview with him.
Tweet: SuzieQ@nkotbgal21
Found Ryan Lanza's Facebook. What a sick person. I just wanna know his motive to kill these innocent people :(
In fact, she had posted to the wrong Facebook page.
#CTshooting seems to contain more facts, with less emotion, and includes this warning:
Victor Hernandez @vhern_
Lots of inaccurate photos and links of the alleged #CTshooting suspect floating around on social web. Be careful folks!
#PrayForNewton has been a top-trending topic on Twitter, though it contains a misspelling of the Connecticut town in which the shooting occurred. Newtown, population 1,960 according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is a small town located about 26 miles north of Fairfield. This hashtag is a repository for the outpouring of grief from thousands of Twitter users.
zach @ZACHARYDUPUIS
There is no excuse for killing anyone especially children who haven't even lived long enough to deserve to die # prayfornewton
#Newtown, the town where Sandy Hook Elementary is located, is another general topic for those who want to follow the news. It's similar to #prayfornewton, but includes tweets from Newtown residents or those with ties to the town.
Tweet: Connor Collier @ Cuzzin_Cone
I love my town, let's continue to show strength and be a crutch for one another during this devastating time # newtown
#SandyHookrefers to the name of the elementary school in Newtown, Conn. where the shootings took place. While this topic contains news updates like the others, it also contains more tweets about the young students at Sandy Hook. For instance, there are tweets from organizations with advice for parents in talking with their kids about the tragedy and tweets objecting to journalists interviewing the young survivors of the shooting.
Tweet: OLIVIA FOX@Oliviafoxradio
@USRealityCheckI JUST TWEETED THAT. POOR JUDGEMENT network news DONT INTERVIEW THE BABIES THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH! ughhhh
CORRECTIONS
The population of Newtown was 27,560 according to the 2010 Census
It later emerged that Ryan Lanza was not the shooter but the brother of the suspected shooter, Adam Lanza.
