Connecticut massacre suspect: How the media IDed the wrong guy [Updated]

The lesson: Tweet, but verify

Parents pick up their children near Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., after Friday's deadly shooting.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin)

As the country reels in the wake of a horrifying school shooting in Connecticut that left a reported 20 children and 6 adults dead, people all over the nation are searching for answers. And as they do, many details of this terrible tragedy are quickly coming to light.

For instance, on Twitter, CNN reported that the name of the alleged shooter is Ryan Lanza. (The New York Post reports that the shooter is actually Adam Lanza, Ryan's brother.)

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.