Sandy Hook: Officer Investigating Oregon College Shooting Shared Conspiracy Theory On Facebook

Outrage over gun control laws has been spewing forth and much is up for debate after the shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College on Thursday. Now, there is even more controversy as Sheriff John Hanlin of Douglas County, whose force responded to and investigated the mass shooting, had posted on Facebook about a supposed conspiracy theory regarding the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

The NY Times is reporting Hanlin has long made clear that he is in opposition of stronger gun laws. He also made his views perfectly evident to Vice President Joe Biden via a message posted on his police department’s Facebook page back on Jan. 13, 2013.

This was right after the mass shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, and Hanlin almost pleaded with Biden to “NOT tamper with or attempt to amend” the Second Amendment. The post is actually still up on the Facebook page of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, as of this writing.

“Gun control is NOT the answer to preventing heinous crimes like school shootings. (Efforts to restrict gun ownership) would be irresponsible and an indisputable insult to the American people.”

“…any federal regulation enacted by Congress or by executive order of the president offending the constitutional rights of my citizens shall not be enforced by me or by my deputies, nor will I permit the enforcement of any unconstitutional regulations or orders by federal officers within the borders of Douglas County Oregon.”

Now, in another note, Hanlin had posted on his personal Facebook page about three days prior to posting the letter on the department’s page. His post was a bit different and it was of a YouTube video that suggested the Sandy Hook shootings and even the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks may have been staged by the federal government to provide a way of “disarming the public” through gun control.

That post has since been deleted, but it was already copied and had screenshots taken of it before it was taken down. The video had comments from Hanlin that urged his Facebook friends to watch the video which has a producer claim that all parents of children “allegedly shot” were actors.

The sheriff even said, “This makes me wonder who we can trust anymore.”

The post drew a lot of criticism and was taken down by Hanlin, but it really hasn’t been mentioned much until now. The post came right around a month after the massacre at Sandy Hook in December of 2012.

The letter on the Facebook page of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office is getting some attention again as well. People have started liking it and commenting on it once more, and it’s bringing to light the issue with Hanlin’s personal post of the Sandy Hook shooting conspiracy theory video.

Oregon’s Umpqua Community College dealt with severe tragedy on Thursday when a man clothed in body armor was carrying four guns and killed nine people at the school. Many others were injured, but this situation is beginning to have people curious if Sheriff Hanlin will change his gun control stance now.

On Friday, Hanlin didn’t say much but simply let it be known that the gun control issue has “certainly got to be a part of the discussion.” He wouldn’t elaborate further and merely thought it inappropriate for his own opinions to air a day after the shooting in Oregon.

He did eventually state firmly that his “position on it has not changed.”

Sheriff John Hanlin has a lot on his hands with the investigation and handling of the shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College. Unfortunately, the post regarding a possible conspiracy theory at Sandy Hook Elementary is what has jumped to the spotlight.

[Images via Facebook/Getty Images – Josh Edelson/Scott Olson]