The New York Times was forced on Thursday to correct an editorial that stated as fact a debunked theory that the gunman who shot Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in 2011 was inspired by a map circulated by Sarah Palin.

The editorial, titled “America’s Lethal Politics,” was posted Wednesday and widely criticized on social media. The editorial read in part:

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On May 31, the New York Times announced that it is doing away with its “public editor” position, which was started in 2003 to improve the paper’s standing with readers following the Jayson Blair plagiarism scandal.  (AP)

“Was this attack evidence of how vicious American politics has become? Probably. In 2011, when Jared Lee Loughner opened fire in a supermarket parking lot, grievously wounding Representative Gabby Giffords and killing six people, including a 9-year-old girl, the link to political incitement was clear. Before the shooting, Sarah Palin’s political action committee circulated a map of targeted electoral districts that put Ms. Giffords and 19 other Democrats under stylized cross hairs.”

The paper ran the editorial after the shooting Wednesday morning during a GOP congressional baseball ... that left 4 wounded, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, who is in critical condition.