Morgan Freeman: Statement about Newtown school shooting was a hoax

Morgan Freeman said he did not issue a statement that went viral on the Internet blaming the media for sensationalizing Friday's mass shootings at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, CBS News reported.

USA TODAY reported police said Adam Lanza killed 20 children and six adults before committing suicide.

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According to CBS News, Freeman's publicist Stan Rosenfield told The Wrap the statement was a hoax.

"It's because of the way the media reports it… Turn on the news and see how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single 'victim' of Columbine?," the statement read.

Following the shootings, the opinions which were attributed to the Oscar-winning actor, circulated on Facebook and Twitter.

"Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basement see the news and want to top it by doing something worse and going out in a memorable way," it continued. "Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster instead of a sad nobody."

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