Christmas came early for thieves, thugs and rapists this year, thanks to the New York Journal News.

As Twitchy reported on Christmas Eve, the lower Hudson Valley newspaper published an online map — complete with names and addresses — highlighting thousands of Rockland and Westchester County residents with gun permits. The shameful attempt to intimidate legal gun owners in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre sparked widespread outrage among Second Amendment advocates.

@0ryuge @lohud It's not the ones on the map you need to worry about, they can protect themselves — Jim Marnin (@JMar254) December 24, 2012

As many Twitter users noted, the map may have put vulnerable people who don’t own guns at even greater risk. The “real reporters” at the Journal News might as well have placed neon arrows pointing to all the homes without firearm permits. For murderers, robbers and others who victimize the defenseless, it reads like a crime spree itinerary.

https://twitter.com/MrFeverHead/status/283280718237413377

@KatiePavlich by @lohud posting this: The criminals now know who is unarmed, which will create more theft and assaults. — stepheng (@KrayonPundit) December 24, 2012

@LoHud It didnt occur to u that criminals could use ur handy dandy map of gun owners to pick unarmed households?? So dumb and outrageous! — livin ablesdlife (@livinablesdlife) December 24, 2012

#lohud BTW you idiots, all you did was to make a revised Christmas list for criminals to choose unarmed targets with. #stupidpinheads — lederman studio (@bigredape) December 24, 2012

Poor judgment here-creates a map of unarmed homes for criminals | NY paper publishes map of gun permit holders: http://t.co/LgjTJxQs — Carol Roth (@caroljsroth) December 26, 2012

@LoHud – you sick freaks. Did it ever occur to you that you are broadcasting the addresses of people WITHOUT guns? — Jimbo Maukee (@connmarkey) December 24, 2012

Could we see a post-Christmas rush on handgun permit applications in Westchester and Rockland?