  Actor Morgan Freeman stands as he is introduced at the TV Land cable channel taping of the AFI Life Achievement Award honoring actress Shirley MacLaine in Los Angeles, California in this June 7, 2012 file photograph. (REUTERS/Fred Prouser/Files)
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A representative for Morgan Freeman has denied the veteran actor released a statement slamming the media for sensationalizing the Connecticut school massacre.
A gunman, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, killing 20 kindergarten students and six staff members before allegedly turning the firearm on himself on Friday.
The rampage left America stunned and has sparked calls for an overhaul of U.S. gun laws, which have been supported by a host of celebrities and politicians.
One of the stars to seemingly speak out after the shootings was Freeman, who reportedly took aim at the press for making gunmen such as Lanza notorious.
The alleged statement read, "It's because of the way the media reports it. Turn on the news and see how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities.
"Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basement see the news and want to top it by doing something worse and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster instead of a sad nobody."
However, a publicist for the Invictus star has spoken out to insist the statement is phoney, claiming Freeman has not publicly addressed the issue.
The rep says, "Morgan neither made statements or posted those statements. We are trying to find out who did, but they did not originate from him."
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