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Reports: As Newtown Plans Burials For Shooting Victims, Westboro Baptist Church Prepares To Picket

NEWTOWN, CT(CBSNewYork) -- Outrage has been the common response following an announcement on Twitter that the Westboro Baptist Church would be picketing at the funerals of victims of Adam Lanza. Lanza's shooting spree left twenty children and six adults dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown on Friday.

In the past, the group has picketed at or near the funerals of fallen U.S. service members.

On Saturday the Inquisitr reported that the announcement had been made by Margie Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper. A tweet from the account @DearShirely, which has been attributed to Phelps-Roper said that, "Westboro will picket Sandy Hook Elementary School to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment."

The tweet prompted the Twitterverse to explode in an onslaught of anger.

One user replied "you are truly sick in the head" while others offered more elaborate and profane responses.

Tweet From Westboro Baptist Church
Credit Twitter

Following the announcement, activist group Anonymous responded by releasing the personal contact information of a number of Westboro Baptist Church members, the Examiner reported.

Anonymous has also created a petition at Whitehouse.gov to legally recognize the church as a hate group, according to the Examiner.

In the past the Supreme Court has ruled that it is legal for the church to protest funerals. A number of localities have passed laws barring the group from coming within a certain distance of funerals and burials.

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