[UPDATE: The New York Post's article was invalid; the Ryan Lanza communicating with them via Facebook was an an impostor, as was the profile itself. Apologies for the delay in catching up with the Post's addendum.]
Ryan Lanza, the 24-year-old brother of Newtown shooter Adam Lanza, told the New York Post in a Facebook chat this morning: "I am a victim... I loss [sic] my mom and brother." Lanza has posted a photo tribute to each of them on his Facebook page, with personal epitaphs for both the younger Lanza and his slain mother Nancy.
In addition, he made a public statement of grief for the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims: "You all will be truly be missed. God Bless." Because the elder Lanza was misidentified as the shooter in the earliest reports, he's also a member of the Facebook groups "Support Ryan Lanza" and "Clear Ryan Lanza's Name."
When a Facebook user posted on Lanza's page that his brother was "the scum of the earth" and deserved to "rot in hell," Ryan responded:
"I am so tired of people blaming me for something my brother did. I love Adam, his [sic] my brother. But you have no right to call my brother names when he isn't here no more. Just let my brother rest in peace. Please. Respect that."
He told the Post that although the user was his Facebook friend, he was a stranger, and said, "He is calling my brother a monster when he don't even know him."
Tragic, all around.
'Ryan Lanza mourns Newtown shooter sibling and mom, claims he's a victim' [New York Post]