UPDATE: 9gag released a statement: "We did an immediate and thorough search of the site and found absolutely zero evidence that any of the alleged posts ever appeared on 9GAG. Any reports otherwise are completely untrue and we ask your help in putting this incredibly insensitive hoax to rest."

As people search for more information online about the Colorado theater shooting, rumors spread on Twitter and other social network sites after two screenshots suggested that the suspect, 24 year-old James Holmes, was encouraged by users on imageboard site 9gag.

The rumors are false, and those images are most certainly photoshopped.

The first screenshot shows an image posted a day ago, leading people to believe it was posted by Holmes. The image is a theater with overlaying text that reveals his plan to commit a shooting at the theater, adding "PEOPLE WILL DIE FOR THE GLORY OF LE 9GAG ARMY !!!"

There's also another screenshot that suggests 9gag users celebrated their influence on the shooting, captioned "WE DID IT! WE GOT HIM TO ACTUALLY SHOOT IN THE THEATER!"

The screenshots coincidentally show 36 tweets and 365 "Likes," so the easy solution would be a search on Twitter for any evidence yesterday, before the media discovered it — which shows zero results.

The screenshots are most likely part of a bigger conflict between two Internet entities: 4chan and 9gag.

Because imageboard sites like 9gag pick up content from other sites, a lot is plucked from 4chan, upsetting users. As a form of trolling, 4chan users under the subcategory /b/ will leave messages indicating that 9gag is to blame.

SEE ALSO: How a Distasteful Meme Sparked a Web Culture War

"4chan trolls routinely harass victims and leave some kind of calling card that would leave their victims to believe they were just attacked by 9gag users," explains Cole Stryker, author of Epic Win for Anonymous: How 4chan's Army Conquered the Web

Some have indicated that this morning's screenshots came from this thread, which has been deleted, wiping any digital trail.

This is not the first trolling 4chan has done on mainstream media. In May, many news outlets were tricked into reporting that the Modesta shooter's nickname was Jimmy Rustles, referencing the Internet meme phrase "that really rustled my Jimmies."

Mashable's Coverage of the Colorado Theater Shooting