Over the past 10 years, a growing online community of conspiracy theorists and hoaxers known as “truthers” has come to question the official narratives behind every mass shooting that is heavily covered by the media. A common thread in these theories is the government’s role in staging the tragedy with the help of mainstream news, in order to manipulate the general population. In this continuously recycled narrative, the death and destruction of the tragic event is faked, and victims and their families are “crisis actors,” who are performing a role in order to elicit sympathy that can then be used to advocate for new gun laws, or anti-terror surveillance that restricts Americans’ freedom. The commitment to these narratives has escalated to the point where victims are frequently harassed, mocked, and even threatened in retaliation for their supposed deception.