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Elementary School Shooting In Connecticut
Posted by Ivetta Babadjanian on Dec 14, 2012 - 10:32:14 AM
NEWTON, CONN.—As of press time, a total of 27 people have died due to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton, Connecticut on Friday, December 14. The school teaches children, roughly ages five to ten, from kindergarten to the fourth grade with a total of about 575 students.
Sandy Hook Elementary School. Photo courtesy of Twitter.
According to reports, the 20-year-old attacker was armed with two 9mm pistols and a semi-automatic rifle. The weapons used in the attack were legally purchased and were registered under the gunman's mother's name.
There were unconfirmed reports that there was a second shooter after witnesses stated they heard dozens of shots. The town of Newton, population of about 28,000, went on lockdown and a SWAT team arrived at the scene. The
suspect has been identified as Adam Lanza officials misidentified the shooter
as Lanza's brother, Ryan. However, officials believe Ryan was nowhere
near the shooting, is not believed to be involved and is cooperating
with the investigation. Ryan told police that Adam had a history of
mental illness.
Police officials have confirmed that Lanza's body was found dead inside the building as he reportedly took his own life. Police are questioning a second man who was dressed in camouflage and was led out of a nearby woods in handcuffs by officers.
Lanza and is believed to be
responsible for the death of his mother, Nancy, who was fatally shot
in the face at her home in Newton. He then went to the school where his mother was a teacher's aid and opened fire on students and staff in one section, two rooms, at the school.
It is unclear how many were shot, but 27 people, 20 of which were children, are reported dead. There
were 18 children that were pronounced dead at the scene while two
were taken to the hospital and were pronounced dead there.
State police received the 911 call at 9:41 a.m. and immediately began to send emergency units to the school from the western part of the state. The 911 calls indicated that multiple students were trapped in a classroom, possibly with a gunman.
Police are trying to determine how the suspect entered the school as there is a double-secured door during the day. Visitors approaching the school have to press a button to be buzzed in to enter the building.
Patients from the shooting have been taken to Danbury Hospital which is also on lockdown. "Out of abundance of caution and not because of any direct threat
Danbury Hospital is under lockdown," the hospital stated on their Facebook page. "This allows us
simply to focus on the important work at hand."
"We don't anticipate any more patients at this time," Patrick Broderick,
the chairman of the hospital's emergency department, said at a news
conference three hours after the incident.
Newton Public School District secretary of superintendent, Kathy June, released a statement indicating the district's school was locked down due to the shooting. "The district is taking preventive measures
by putting all schools in lockdown until we ensure the safety of all
students and staff."
"We have increased our police presence at all Danbury Public Schools due
to the events in Newtown. Pray for the victims," Newtown Mayor Boughton
tweeted.
President Barack Obama was notified about he shooting at around 10:30 a.m. by his counterterrorism and homeland security adviser, John Brennan, said White House press secretary Jay Carney. "The president is receiving regular updates as more information becomes available about this incident," Carney said.
Carney stated the FBI is supporting state law enforcement in the investigation. He called the shooting "a very tragic event" and said the president feels "enormous sympathy" for victims' families.
“Our hearts are broken today,'' Obama said during a press conference. “The majority of those who died
today were children. Beautiful little kids between the ages of five and
ten years old.”
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