Professional crank James Fetzer and his band of loopy dipshits place an inordinate amount of faith in Twitter posts, citing them repeatedly throughout the despicable Nobody Died at Sandy Hook. In Chapter Five, “Vivian Lee” leans heavily on a handful of confusingly time-stamped tweets—artifacts of a well-documented Twitter bug I’ve already addressed at length—to support one of her “top ten reasons Sandy Hook was an elaborate hoax.” On page 67, under “4. There was foreknowledge of the event,” she writes:
In addition, tweets about the shooting began before it occurred, a tribute was apparently uploaded one month before the event, and web pages honoring the victims, including a Facebook page R.I.P. Victoria Soto, were established before they had “officially” died.
A great deal of emphasis is also placed on a single, utterly mundane tweet from Sandy Hook Elementary principal Dawn Hochsprung’s Twitter account. Posted on October 17, 2012, it shows students participating in the school’s annual evacuation drill. Despite looking nothing like the chaos of December 14—an observation that should shock precisely no one—this image is nevertheless presented as “proof” that the massacre was merely a drill:
This claim only works if the authors accept Hochsprung’s Twitter account as legitimate. And they clearly do—because tweets from the morning of December 14 could not possibly serve as “evidence” unless Fetzer and company believed Twitter reliably displays authentic, user-generated content.
That commitment has consequences.
If Dawn Hochsprung’s Twitter account is real—and it must be, for their argument to function—then everything on her timeline from September through December 2012 must also be real. And what those posts show is not a shuttered building or an abandoned set, but a busy, fully operational elementary school: classrooms full of students, teachers collaborating, assemblies, performances, professional development, fundraisers, book fairs, and seasonal events.
That reality alone collapses Fetzer’s central claim that Sandy Hook Elementary had been closed and unoccupied since 2008—a claim upon which the entire conspiracy depends.
Unsurprisingly, the book makes no mention of Hochsprung’s Twitter timeline beyond the evacuation drill photo. Instead of linking directly to her account, the authors cite their own blog posts about the image. For example, on page 96:
They claim the scenery in one drill photo doesn’t match the scenery in another. This is a manufactured problem. The evacuation photos were taken just outside Sandy Hook Elementary’s front entrance—where Shannon Hicks was standing when she took them—while the fire drill continued behind the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue building, where the students ultimately walked, lined up, and were photographed for Hochsprung’s tweet. The structure visible behind the children in Hochsprung’s photo is the same structure visible behind the firehouse on Google Maps—a fact that’s obvious once you bother to look:
Not everything involving the school happens in one tightly cropped patch of pavement.
The more important question is why the original source is never provided. Why not link directly to Hochsprung’s actual Twitter timeline?
Because they can’t. The moment readers see the full feed—weeks of mundane, verifiable posts showing classrooms full of students, staff events, assemblies, rehearsals, and daily school life—the “closed since 2008” narrative disintegrates instantly. Selective screenshotting is the only way the claim survives.
On October 9, 2012, Hochsprung tweeted a photo from a Pathways to Common Core conference. While the image itself isn’t inside the school, the event is independently corroborated by the November 2012 Newtown Public Schools Superintendent’s Newsletter, which includes the following statement from survivor Natalie Hammond:
“For the past year, Sandy Hook teachers have been focused on increasing students’ independence as learners, expanding opportunities for student discourse, and raising the level of rigor in our questioning. This summer, eighteen Sandy Hook educators participated in week-long Reading Workshop training. Most attended Newtown’s Homegrown Institute in July, and several traveled to The Teachers College at Columbia University. Our faculty also read Lucy Calkins’ Pathways to the Common Core. We are excited to implement all of our new learning in Sandy Hook classrooms and to share our growth with our colleagues!” Lead Teacher, Natalie Hammond (SHS) affirmed the excitement and quality of the Reading Workshop.
On October 18, 2012, Hochsprung tweeted photos of students and faculty celebrating the fall harvest inside a classroom:
Later that same day, she shared images from the school’s cafetorium, decorated for the season:
That second image is particularly important. It clearly shows James Mattioli and his older sister Anna, circled here for clarity:
Five days later, on October 23, 2012, Hochsprung posted a photo of older students gathered in a classroom, engaged in a Readers’ Workshop discussion:
On October 24, 2012, her timeline shows another classroom scene, this time featuring teachers working with staff from the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project:
By November 6, 2012, teachers are photographed in the hallway outside the school library, browsing books:
On November 9, 2012, Arts for Learning Connecticut’s Carnival Trio performed for a large group of students in the school’s cafetorium:
On November 12, 2012, a series of tweets documents Sandy Hook’s annual Veterans Day Breakfast, held in the cafetorium. Previous breakfasts are recorded in PTA minutes from 2010 and 2011, further establishing this as a recurring, long-standing school event:
One photo from the breakfast appears to show Noah Pozner seated with his sisters Sophia and Arielle:
You can read more about the 2012 Veterans Day Breakfast—and my entirely one-sided battle with professional denier Wolfgang Halbig—in Wily Wolfgang Weasels His Way Out Of Another One.
On November 13, 2012, students and parents participated in the school’s Scholastic book fair, corroborated by the November 8, 2012 edition of The Sandy Hook Connection newsletter:
Two details visible in this image make it impossible for the photo to have been taken in a school alleged to have closed in 2008:
- An “Angry Birds” poster is clearly visible. Angry Birds was not released until December 2009, meaning it could not have appeared in a building supposedly shuttered the year before.
- A Justin Bieber “Boyfriend” poster also appears:
Bieber’s single “Boyfriend” was released on March 26, 2012, making it impossible for this image to have been taken before April 2012—let alone in a building Fetzer claims closed four years earlier. This is indisputable.
For more on Sandy Hook’s November 2012 Scholastic book fair, click here.
On November 14, 2012, Sandy Hook staff—including Victoria Soto—participated in an Adopt-A-Family fundraiser:
Two days later, on November 16, 2012, Hochsprung—dressed as the Sandy Hook Book Fairy—read to first-grade students in the school’s courtyard:
She was also photographed greeting students in the lobby in the November 23, 2012 print edition of The Newtown Bee:
This clearly shows the same stretch of lobby immediately beyond the front doors, exactly as seen in crime scene photos:
On November 19, 2012, Sandy Hook’s third-grade teachers collaborated with students and staff from Teachers College, Columbia University:
By November 28, 2012, first graders were preparing for the school’s holiday concert scheduled for Thursday, December 13, with the date and venue—Newtown High School—clearly written on the whiteboard:
On December 4, 2012, teachers were photographed working in the school library using a SMART Technologies projector (not available in 2008) alongside an iPad, first released in 2010:
That same day, The Newtown Bee covered the school’s “Appy Hour” event, providing independent confirmation that the school was operating normally.
On December 10, 2012, students participated in a play supermarket, “selling” Pop-Tarts featuring Pop-Tarts World branding, which did not exist until August 2010:
On December 12, 2012, the fourth-grade choir rehearsed for the upcoming winter concert:
Connecticut State Representative John Frey, whose nieces were members of the choir, tweeted from the concert the following evening:
Finally, on December 13, 2012, Dawn Hochsprung posted her last tweet, featuring a series of books not released until 2011:
At this point, the conclusion is unavoidable. Hochsprung’s Twitter timeline documents a living, functioning elementary school—students, staff, modern technology, cultural references, outside organizations, and independently corroborated events—right up until the day before the shooting.
To preserve Fetzer’s claim that Sandy Hook Elementary closed in 2008, every one of these photos would have to be staged, misdated, fabricated, or falsely corroborated—often by unrelated third parties, local newspapers, educators, parents, and elected officials.
That isn’t skepticism.
It’s denial.
For more in the “Sandy Hook Elementary Was Open” series, please read:
Part One: The Lobby
Part Two: The Obstinate Pen
Part Three: Holiday Decorations And Calendars
Part Four: SMART Technologies
Part Five: Dawn Hochsprung’s Twitter Feed
Part Six: The 2011-2012 Scrapbook
Part Seven: Children’s Authors Visit Sandy Hook
Part Eight: Charitable Causes
Part Nine: The Library
Part Ten: 92 More Photos From Sandy Hook School
Part Eleven: Over 195 Articles Referencing Sandy Hook School, Written Between 2008-2012
Part Twelve: The Glass Display Cases
Part Thirteen: Google Earth
Part Fourteen: The November 2012 Scholastic Book Fair
Part Fifteen: Sandy Hook School Enrollment For 2008-2017
Part Sixteen: School Documents From 2008-2012
I post my comment here, not to diminish the import or tragedy of any of your other posts, but because I found this one particularly poignant.
I just wish to say how outstanding I think your work is.
Having struggled to understand the mind set of ‘truthers’ for a couple of years, I came across this blog a few weeks ago and read it from beginning to end. I’ve appreciated it as I do a page-turning true crime book. The chapter by chapter take down of Fester & friends is masterful, providing an emotional ride through deep sadness, to seething rage and pure mirth.
I suggest new readers start at the last page and work through each blog. It’s worth it.
Thanks again for an amazing read. It’s (partially) reaffirmed my faith in humanity.
I have some things I have not seen addressed yet anywhere else yet..
So let’s talk about these school photos on the Twitter feed.
First, odd that this was only used for 3 moths. Not much history but I can see them defend that she just got into Twitter.
First the “fire drill” tweet has an arched cover area behind the children. I have seen photos for every inch of the school. That photo was not taken there. I even looked by the firehouse, which is a stretch since a drill is always done at the school just as the ones at my building at work.
Then look at the photo on that is on November 13th. It is clear that was in a taller room. Which means it was in the gym or multi-purpose room. Ther are no other rooms that high. But look at the 2nd window. It’s has crossed panes while the rest do not. This window doesn’t match any in either of those building. I looked.
Those photos are not in that school.
The only ouc that looks like it was taken at that school was the one that “Dawn” is in at the entrance.
Now they say the school was closed due to asbestos.
Which means it would be unsafe unless in protective gear. So that would explain the lack of legitimate photos cause it would be easy enough to bring in the actors for a few shots.
Also, can’t get a better school to do this with. Super small town and a school that is not visable on the main road.
Unless you had children there, you would not pay attention.
I saw one hoax disputer claim she drove by on her way to work and could see the kids on the playground. Not only is the school not visable from the road but the playground is even in the opposite side from the road.
And that handicap spot. I doubt a school would have not had that addressed. It was legally required to be specific colors and have he metal post. As it was was a violation. Not likely.
“First, odd that this was only used for 3 moths. Not much history but I can see them defend that she just got into Twitter.”
I don’t think it’s all that strange. An average of 135,000 people join Twitter every day. I personally didn’t join Twitter until about six months ago. I also get the feeling that if she had signed up the previous year, we’d still be having the same conversation.
Of course “three moths[sic]” (or months) sounds a lot less impressive than the entirety of the 2012-2013 school year. But at the time of the shooting, that’s exactly what it was. I personally think it’s obvious that she had started the account for the benefit of the school, and not to document her personal life.
“First the “fire drill” tweet has an arched cover area behind the children. I have seen photos for every inch of the school. That photo was not taken there. I even looked by the firehouse, which is a stretch since a drill is always done at the school just as the ones at my building at work.”
Uh, then you did not look very hard. It’s a structure just behind the firehouse, closer to the school. The most recent Google Street View does not allow you to travel up Dickenson Drive (as it was taken in October of 2014), but you can get pretty close to the location using the Street View images from 2008.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.4220033,-73.2779819,3a,75y,93.63h,85.76t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sdbw0GqvJ7g4G6eGQEBpO9Q!2e0!7i3328!8i1664
Also, think about this logically: even if the school were completely condemned (it wasn’t), what would stop them from taking photos outside of the school? Why would they need to take them in another location? It doesn’t make any sense.
“Then look at the photo on that is on November 13th. It is clear that was in a taller room. Which means it was in the gym or multi-purpose room. Ther are no other rooms that high. But look at the 2nd window. It’s has crossed panes while the rest do not. This window doesn’t match any in either of those building. I looked.”
Again, you simply did not look hard enough. That picture was clearly taken in the cafetorium. Those are the windows that face the courtyard. I would suggest watching WDMCS_School_Interior_4_of_5.wmv, available on http://cspsandyhookreport.ct.gov/. You can skip to around 33:03 and you’ll see those exact windows. Notice the crossed panes, the strip and clock directly beneath it (which make another appearance in the December 12th photo showing the winter concert rehearsal), and its relation to the exit sign and double doors to the right.
“Those photos are not in that school.”
They definitely are.
“The only ouc that looks like it was taken at that school was the one that “Dawn” is in at the entrance.”
Not even close. The picture from October 8th was clearly taken in the cafetorium (recognizable even without Thanksgiving decorations in the video above); November 6th shows the area just outside of the library; the two pictures from November 9th once again show the cafetorium (this time focusing on the stage), as do the three photos from the Veterans Day breakfast; November 16th is obviously of the school’s courtyard; November 28th shows the school’s music room; and December 4th was taken inside of the school’s library (which has been extensively photographed). The other rooms are a little tougher to identify and corroborate because the crime scene photos and walk-through videos do not show every square inch of the school.
Now if you’ve truly seen “every square inch” of the school, then those areas should be recognizable to you. But as I’ve already demonstrated, that may not be an entirely accurate statement on your part.
“Now they say the school was closed due to asbestos.”
Only hoaxers say this. There is absolutely no evidence that this is true. In fact, there’s plenty of evidence that it is not true, the most damning of which would be the fact that the school was given a 4 (out of a possible 4, indicating that there was “Not a problem”) for “Asbestos remediation” in the Connecticut Department of Education’s 2011 school facilities survey. There’s a link to it here.
“Which means it would be unsafe unless in protective gear. So that would explain the lack of legitimate photos cause it would be easy enough to bring in the actors for a few shots.”
What makes a photo “legitimate” in your eyes? Because in addition to what’s included on Dawn’s Twitter feed, I have – on this website – posted literally hundreds of photographs taken in and around the school between the 2008-2012.
“I saw one hoax disputer claim she drove by on her way to work and could see the kids on the playground. Not only is the school not visable from the road but the playground is even in the opposite side from the road.”
What am I supposed to do with this? Maybe she was talking about Crestwood. I don’t know, because I’m getting the claim secondhand, through you. But you know Riverside is not the only road that runs by the school, correct?
“And that handicap spot. I doubt a school would have not had that addressed. It was legally required to be specific colors and have he metal post. As it was was a violation. Not likely.”
Oh boy. So what? I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on ADA compliance, but I do know that it doesn’t matter much. 83% of New York City’s elementary schools are non-compliant. 83%! And that’s just New York City. The idea that a school or any other public institution cannot possibly remain open while their handicapped spots are not painted the correct colors is just stupid, to be completely honest.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/22/nyregion/most-new-york-elementary-schools-are-violating-disabilities-act-investigation-finds.html
Fake twitter account started only 4 months prior to attack. If you believe anyone died you are a total idiot. This was a staged event plain and simple. Do your reasearch, but avoid this CIA shill site. It’s full of lies. We need a class action lawsuit for inflicting emotional distress on millions of Americans.
This is such by-the-numbers denier spam that it is nearly indistinguishable from parody. A bunch of insane claims made without any evidence whatsoever? Check! Lazy ad hominems? Check! Accusing those who disagree with you of being “CIA shills” (again, without any evidence)? Check! Telling people to “do their research” while dismissing the extensive, legitimate, and verifiable research done here while debunking the entirety of James Fetzer’s garbage book? Check!
So the Twitter account was created “only four months prior to the attack”? You mean at the beginning of the 2012 school year? Yes, what strange timing! Surely it would have made much more sense for a sophomore principal to start a school-centric Twitter account in the middle of the summer, while everyone is on break!
For clarification, just how long does an account need to exist before it’s no longer considered suspicious? Actually, don’t bother answering that, because I know that it’s never enough for nutters like yourself. And what exactly makes it a “fake” Twitter? What proof, if any (you don’t have any), do you have of this claim? Again, don’t bother answering, because I know that it’s none.
And what about the local papers, who never stopped reporting on the school? That includes 180+ articles and hundreds of photographs published between 2008-2012. So you can’t hand-wave them away by claiming they popped up shortly before the shooting, because we all know that’s simply not true. Let me guess: they were in on it all along! So why did they wait so long to start a Twitter account? I guess they just forgot!
I’ve been a crisis actor for over 50 years. I can testify that all the coverage on the tele of the Vietnam conflict were faked. I know since I was one of the actors recruited by the CIA to be part of a special team to set-up certain events that were only allowed to be broadcast. No one died in Vietnam.
My father was also a crisis actor. He was a member of the Welsh Fusiliers who “stormed the beaches at Normandy” but no one was killed, they just fell down to make it look that way. The bombed out German cities were actually paper mache models.
So, there you have it. Crisis acting has been going on for decades. It’s generally a slow news day so they have to have something to print, right?
Finally! The truth has been revealed!
Funny how that faked twitter account wasn’t around in 2012 also staging stunts with your crisis actors to pretend that toxic waste dump and destroyed building as evidence by all the footage the day after was feasible is pathetic. Many a researcher already debunked your little run up for the fake school year with the staged school bus bullshit.. BTW the post date damage control faked twitter account of “Hochsprung” aka younger pics of Donna Page. Is pretty slimeballish also retarded. BTW Your fallacious mouth breathing stupidity for your jewish liars is rather appalling. I suggest you crooks cease while you still have a chance.
Is this even English?
What is with you whackadoos and Antisemitism?
I’m not commenting one way or the other…. But it is
Interesting that She started her twitter Account in 2012…. She had been working at the school since 2010… So all over her twitter activity is from Aug2012-dec2012.
I Also Notice her mention an “Annual Veterans Day breakfast” having hard time finding any from previous years.
What’s so interesting about that? Seeing as how Twitter was the fastest growing social network back in 2012 (that is according to GlobalWebIndex), it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that many of those new users were educators. In fact, back in September of 2012, the Newstimes even published an article literally titled “Tweets become part of teacher repertoire”.
Anyway, if Dawn had started it in 2011, I’m sure the same people would find it just as suspicious. And of course if she hadn’t started one at all, even more so. That’s the biggest problem with debunking these silly theories; the goalposts have wheels, so nothing is ever good enough. People claim that the school was closed, but then when you present a number of photographs taken from inside the school when it was allegedly closed, those same people then claim that the Twitter account isn’t old enough. It never ends.
Article on the 2008 Veterans Day breakfast
Article on the 2009 Veterans Day breakfast
Three photos from the 2009 Veterans Day breakfast
Article on the 2010 Veterans Day breakfast
Article on the 2011 Veterans Day breakfast
A number of photos from the 2011 Veterans Day breakfast
Article on the 2012 Veterans Day breakfast
Some photos from the 2012 Veterans Day breakfast
I’m sure I could’ve found more, going back even further, but those are from the years that the school was allegedly closed.
Pingback: Did The Children Killed At Sandy Hook Appear At Super Bowl XLVII? – Sandy Hook Research