'Sandy Hook Father' in pro-gun viral video never actually had children at Sandy Hook



A video titled 'Sandy Hook Father Owns Congress' has wracked up an impressive 2.7 million views on YouTube in less than a week with the star, Bill Stevens, being touted as a hero to those opposing new gun control laws. The only problem is, Stevens never had a child enrolled in Sandy Hook, and he never spoke to Congress.



In the video, Stevens, who introduces himself as a Newtown resident, tells a committee: 'My fifth grade daughter was in lockdown on Dec. 14, 2012. Unfortunately her classmate's little sister was murdered in Sandy Hook that day when lockdown and 911 weren't enough to protect her from an evil person.



'Not protect her from an assault rifle or some inanimate object but from an evil person.'

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From my cold, dead hands: Father Bill Stevens, who's daughter attends a school a mile from Sandy Hook, became a viral sensation with his testimony

Not Capital Hill: Instead of Washington, Stevens is addressing Connecticut state lawmakers

After nearly three minutes of defending gun ownership from 'asinine' regulations he finishes: 'I will tell you here today, you will take my ability to protect my Victoria from my cold, dead hands.'

Gun rights supporters rallied behind the video, and news outlets like Breitbart wrote that Stevens' daughter Victoria had 'survived the crime at Sandy Hook,' as did other conservative sites including the Examiner, the Daily Caller, and Townhall.com.

However in reality Victoria is actually a fifth-grader at Reed Intermediate School which is roughly a mile away from Sandy Hook Elementary.



Victims: Stevens' daughter Victoria did not attend Sandy Hook but one of her classmates had a younger sister who was killed by gunman Adam Lanza

It's easy to see how Stevens' remarks could have been misinterpreted considering he mentioned a daugher in lockdown and a murdered child, he actually emailed the Examiner to correct that misinformation once he learned people were circulating the video.

'Thank you for the nice article about my testimony in Hartford,' he wrote. 'Unlike the Liberal media who don't let facts get in the way, I just wanted to let you know that my daughter does not attend Sandy Hook Elementary, but was in 'lock down' nonetheless on December 14, 2012 at Reed Intermediate School (5th & 6th grade) about a mile away with her classmates, one of whom lost his little sister that day.'

Trgedy: Stevens' daughter was actually a mile away from the Sandy Hook tragedy but was put on lockdown in her own school

However several of the outlets reporting on the video did not update their original stories and several posted since have continued to identify him as the father of a child who survived gunman Adam Lanza's rampage.



Also, though the video gives the impression Stevens is addressing U.S. Congressmen he's actually addressing Connecticut's state lawmakers.

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