A Florida politician's aide has been fired after suggesting two Parkland school shooting survivors are "crisis actors."
In an email, Benjamin A. Kelly, district secretary for Florida State Republican Rep. Shawn Harrison who represents Hillsborough County, said that two students – David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez "are not students here but actors that travel to various crisis when they happen."
Hogg and Gonzalez are at the center of conspiracy theories surrounding the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.
Both students have been vocal on social media and television about their efforts to prevent further mass shootings.
However, the grief they face is being corrupted online as the false conspiracy theories spread.
In the unfounded conspiracy theories, individuals and online groups have used images of Hogg to portray him as a "crisis actor" – definition of which being an actor that travels from crisis to crisis to propagate a specific ideology usually for a political goal.
Following Kelly's email, Harrison said his aide was "terminated from his position."
"I am appalled at and strongly denounce his comments about the Parkland students. I am again sorry for any pain this has caused the grieving families of this tragedy," Harrison wrote on Twitter.