Westboro Baptist Church Hacked by Anonymous as Group Plans Protest at Sandy Hook Elementary School

By Jon Campbell, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, December 16, 2012

People react during a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal church near Sandy Hook Elementary School in Sandy Hook, Connecticut December 15, 2012. Residents of the small Connecticut community of Newtown were reeling on Saturday from one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, as police sought answers about what drove a 20-year-old gunman to slaughter 20 children at an elementary school. | (Photo: REUTERS/Eric Thayer)

Westboro Baptist Church has been hacked by the hacker group "Anonymous" on Sunday, with the hackers stealing private information about many of the controversial group's members held on its server.

The controversial Westboro group based in Topeka, Kansas had announced that it was planning to protest on Sunday at President Barack Obama's visit to Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children aged six and seven years old, as well as six adults were gunned down by a shooter on Friday morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The group has also become known for protesting at military funerals throughout the United States.

However, in reaction to the proposed protest by the group, hacker group Anonymous has attacked Westboro's website.

A video by KY Anonymous has stated, "We will not allow you to corrupt the minds of America with your seeds of hatred. We will not allow you to inspire aggression to the social factions which you deem inferior. We will render you obsolete. We will destroy you. We are coming."

It has also been reported that some of the group's members have had their private information compromised by the hack, with personal details such as home addresses, email addresses and phone numbers among the sensitive information at risk.

President Obama spoke on Friday with tears of his heartbreak at the school shootings at Sandy Hook. It has now emerged that 20 of the victims were first graders aged between six and seven years old, and that all victims were shot multiple times by the gunman, with one reportedly shot as many as 11 times.

Obama is expected to meet families of Sandy Hook Elementary School on Sunday, and will reportedly also thank first responders to the scene of the tragedy.

According to a Westboro tweet message the group planned to protest during and after Obama's visit to the town. The messaged was allegedly sent by Westboro member, Shirley Phelps-Roper.

Phelps-Roper reportedly tweeted Saturday, "Westboro will picket Sandy Hook Elementary School to sing praise to God for the glory of his work in executing his judgment."