DENVER (AP) — A Pueblo County commission candidate said an article posted on Facebook saying the Newtown shootings were a hoax said his remarks were misunderstood.

The Denver Post reported Saturday (http://dpo.st/1xZEnTX ) that Tom Ready apologized for hurting those affected by the December 2012 shootings in the Connecticut city that killed 20 children and six adults at an elementary school.

The article posted by Ready claimed the shootings were a hoax intended to drum up support for tougher gun control laws. Ready told the Post he simply “pushed a button” to link the article to his page to encourage discussion.

Ready said he didn’t do a good job Wednesday during a debate where he defended posting the article.

Ready’s remarks went viral on the Internet.

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Information from: The Denver Post, http://www.denverpost.com

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