Los Angeles Times headline blames US victims in horrific massacre by Mexican cartel, and they are getting obliterated online

A bizarre headline from the Los Angeles Times that appears to blame the victims for a horrific massacre by a drug cartel in Mexico led to the news outlet being excoriated on social media.

 

At least 9 members of a Mormon community in Mexico were massacred in an ambush by a drug cartel on Monday. Two of the victims were 8-month-old twins.

The story from the Los Angeles Times reported on ties to violence of the family of the victims, mostly from religious disputes between different factions related to Ervil LeBaron in the 1970s and the 1980s.

It also connects the family of the victims to a killing that resulted from one of their members who defied human traffickers.

In 2009, family member and anti-violence activist Benjamin LeBaron was shot dead after speaking out against traffickers who kidnapped his brother for a $1-million ransom.

Many on social media wondered if the article was an attempt to put some of the blame of the massacre on the victims.

"This story is just terrible," responded David French of The Dispatch. "A family is burying small children and now the media is dredging up completely unrelated events, committed by distant relatives, that happened more than a generation ago." 

"Nice," he concluded bitterly.

"So they deserved to be massacred? What is the point of this headline?" asked Dana Loesch.

"Is the idea here that the victims had it coming? This is an insane piece," responded Ben Shapiro.

"Some distant relatives did something 40 years ago.... Did Mexico's government take over your editorial board or do you just voluntarily help them smear victims of cartel violence? In Mexico they kill you twice, like I said," replied Brandon Darby of Breitbart.

"This is disgusting victim blaming @latimes and you should be ashamed," said Bridget Phetasy.