Peter Lanza, father of Connecticut school shooting gunman Adam Lanza, released a statement Saturday expressing condolences to the families of victims.
“Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones and to all those who were injured," Peter Lanza said. "Our family is grieving along with all those who have been affected by this enormous tragedy.
"No words can truly express how heartbroken we are. We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. We too are asking why. We have cooperated fully with law enforcement and will continue to do so. Like so many of you, we are saddened, but struggling to make sense of what has transpired.”
Police say Adam Lanza, 20, opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday morning, killing 20 students and six adults. Lanza also died at the school, authorities said.
Police also say Lanza's mother, Nancy Lanza, was killed at her house in Newtown before the school rampage began.
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No parent will ever be ready for such unspeakable act. It’s evident that an extrimanly high state of rage build up was released by this kid that morning, for killing his mother the child must have suffered months if not years of submissive abuse, rejection, isolation.
Or else he was just plain crazy....
Sometimes a unit is just defective. Manufacturing flaws.
I can tell you don't know much about this. Highly trained counselors will tell you that they would just be guessing as to what's going on with a person unless they could sit down and talk with him. In this case, it's too late for that. They might be able to piece together something from interviewing those who knew him or finding something that he wrote. But my point is, you and I are only guessing.
So sad....
He vented his rage at those he perceived were the cause of his pain. If his pain was isolated, he would have committed suicide and left it at that. No, he had rage against the victims. Perhaps the children were perceived to have taken his mother's time from him. Perhaps, at a critical point in his life he needed her and she was unable to give him what he needed. Look to the situation to determine what purpose it served. It served him to vent his anger upon those he deemed "responsible" for some great injustice in his life.
People don't want to admit it, but there are people in the world that are just plain evil. This may be partially do to bad parenting, etc., but the majority of the blame should be on the loser
Prophet, you are a troll and a moron. Loving families have mentally ill members whom they try to help every day. Just because someone looses their mind does not mean that they were abused or neglected. You don't know what you are talking about.
Not everyone who shoots his mother has been abused or neglected. A mentally unstable person can attempt or commit matricide as a result of his own paranoid delusions. I don't know if this young man suffered from a mental illness, whether or not diagnosed, but you shouldn't assume his parents neglected or abused him.
Our family life when from chaotic and tension filled to blissfull when we realized that ARTIFICIAL DYES like RED LAKE 40 and Yellow 5- found in soooo many foods- (made from PETROLEUM) greatly increased ADHD, anxiety, aggression, anger, and made all our tempers flare from 0 to 60 with the least provocation. In just 3 days of eating completely dye free we have been transformed. NOW when people SNAP I wonder "how much poison have they been eating lately?"
No parent will ever be ready for such unspeakable act. It’s evident that an extrimanly high state of rage build up was released by this kid that morning, for killing his mother the child must have suffered months if not years of submissive abuse, rejection, isolation.
I'm sorry. But where was this man in his child's life?
good point
They divorced when the shooter was 17-he did this at 20. So for 17/20 of the shooter's life, he lived in a two-parent home. Please don't blame these horrible decisions by the shooter on a divorce.
Reports indicate he hadn't seen his son since June, despite living less than an hour away.
I'm 22 and I too live only about 45 minutes from my Dad. We talk on the phone every other day...But, I ONLY see him on holidays. It doesn't take away from our relationship but we both have busy lives. It's NOT the parents fault for the child's actions. Peter Lanza Did Not shoot 27 people to death. His son Adam did.
Before you go passing judgement, look up the facts. The parents only got divorced 4 years ago.
They are divorced. The son is 20. Millions of people in this country are divorced and life goes on without mass shootings, thank God! This man (who may or may not be a horrible person) just lost his son and his ex-wife (about whom he made no mention) That's all we know, let's wait for more info.
I agree with Balancedbrain – the father, Peter Lanza seems like a decent man. His statement to the families is compassionate and he seems genuinely grief stricken by what happened.
The main component of every one of these shootings is they grow up with out a father in their life. Boys need a father. If you take that away, you've got a screwed up child, and watch out.
this was a sad tradedy, but if they had divoriced quietly, why did his dad stop contact with him, and also his brother, even with the divorce you still see your kids no matter what age, if he had problems you would want to know what is going on in your kids life even after leaving therm
Perhaps he didn't say it because he knows how truly hollow and predictable it sounds, and that it does no one any good. Or maybe he is just in shock that an all powerful and all knowing god would allow something like this to happen to completely innocent children.
Keith – Many people are quick to blame God but while doing so, they forget that satan exists and is trying very hard to put doubt in us.
are...are you kidding me? Do you have any idea of the unspeakable tragedies that have come directly from religion? Why don't you worry about yourself and keep your nose out of things you clearly can't comprehend.
I see you are free of the dogma brain fog! Nice post.
If more people were athiests, there would be a lot less killing and suffering in the world. Histories worst atrocities have been done in God's name.
Obviously God wasn't a part of this killers life or upbringing. And obviously God isn't a part of your life if you are an atheist. I feel sorry for all you non-believers. You must have had one lousy childhood, lousy parents, and are currently or will probably make lousy parents. We all have FREE WILL...God doesn't tell us what to do or how to live our lives, that is a choice we get to make for ourselves. This killer is now answering God for his choices as will you one day. I will not be wasting my time to come back on here for a response because I am going to put my son to bed and we are going to say our prayers and pray for some comfort and support for those that are living this tragedy.
Understandably you're upset, but assuming God isn't apart of someone's upbringing is inherently false. Just as priests don't commit HORRIBLE acts on man kind (in history and continuously in present day)? There are some amazing, people who have contributed to this world/life we live who may not even know who don't believe in God, as there are OBVIOUSLY some sick people in this world who carry around, and quote Bibles as it would be apart of their physical form. God isn't, and probably never will be the problem, as we each decide what we do with our OWN interpretation of the Bible/religious texts. The problem in this case is human compassion, and the disinterest in taking gun laws more seriously as well as the inability to take mental health more seriously. I imagine if those issues were focused/dealt with 10 years ago, it would do far more for all those kids who feel helpless rather than saying they can quote a Bible inside out!
Self Righteous and clueless
Yes. Jeffery Dahmer was a saint. So was Kim Jong Il. Both atheists. Napoleon Bonaparte too for that matter.
and bundy, gacey, ramirez, and and mr green river, nice christian boyz
Genghis Khan, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot killed millions in God's name? Are you sure about that?
Dare I say, AMEN? They seem to think bibles and guns are companion pieces.
Many do think that Bibles and guns "are companion pieces."
Folks think all sorts of things.
Stalin and Mao were responsible for the deaths of over 50 million. No religion there.
And Hitler killed 6 million and was a Christian, so what was your point?
Not a christian myself, but your statements are pretty much BS. Religion is a tool. Like any other tool (including atheism), it is abused for nefarious purposes. Mao Tse-tung (a strict atheist) killed hundreds of thousands of his countrymen....many of them in the name of atheism, which he was intent on imposing on China. Stalin (another atheist) killed millions.
They're just hiding behind religion to justify themselves. If it there were no religion they would just hide behind something else
The killer had a mental disorder and he was born with it. Did not fit in school and had no friends. Got home schooling due to problems in school. Killed his mother probably because she was normal. Killed teachers and children because he was getting even with his past in that school. What does not make sense was the fact that the weapons belonged to the mother and she took him target practice, you don't do that with people that have a mental problem. That part does not make sense.
Unless it was part of the mother's trying to "normalize' him and bond with him or prepare him for problems she perceived he may face later in life. But, I do agree, it is peculiar that she would take him target shooting with her if he was most certainly lacking in social skills.
He had a mental illness and how do you know that? Are you a psychiatrist? Did you Psychoanalyze him?
The reporters were making that assumption yesterday, without doing any investigation. His friends and relatives are just starting to come forward and paint a completely different picture than what the reporters were giving of him yesterday. Don't keep spreading lies when you don't know what your talking about.
I agree with everything you say EXCEPT that the mother was "normal"
I'm an atheist sir and I have cried, I have felt compassion those children, and have felt sympathy for the families. But after hearing your comment I'm reminded of christian arrogance....again. Perhaps you are distracted by your ignorance.
Thank you.
You don waste any chance to preach your atheism beliefs. The killer did not do the act in the name of religion.
I've been crying since yesterday. I'm an atheist, too. It's a human emotion.
These nuts don't understand that compassion doesn't come from religion. Religion, if anything, teaches exclusivity. Maybe reading up on the violent roots of Christianity would be a start for some of these ignorant people.
Imperialism? Christian based. All of it. Do a search on the crusades.
There is always one moron in every crowd!
Thank you.
There were reports that the mother worked at he school, was killed at the school, that it was Ryan and there was a 2nd shooter. Just because the reports say daddy hasn't seen him since June doesn't make it true.
Did this young man go to this school as a child. I bet he did I just know he did. Some of the same teachers still there I bet. He was bullied in that same classroom I bet. I just know he was. Adam couldn't forget it. I just know it.
WE WILL NEVER KNOW why this atrocity took place. NEVER. Spend all the money in the world we still will not know. Help the victims the families these poor children who will never forget this day as long as they live please. Even if we knew,it won't stop it from possibly happening again in AMERICA. This school sounds like it had taken many, many safeguards to prevent this unthinkable event. It STILL happened. Spend all the money on helping this community move on not trying to figure out why Adam did this it won't matter. Countries spend money on preventing suicide bombers not why that person would blow themselves up.
Yes, kind atheists like Joseph Stalin.
It was a similar massacre that occurred at the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, CA in 1989 (six children killed and 30 children wounded) that finally led to the 1994 Federal Ban on Assault Weapons, which Congress and President Bush let expire in 2004.
Good thing that ban stopped Columbine from happening since it falls in your time frame.
Thank you "W"
This just in.
Adam wanted to take attention off the Fiscal Cliff.
Maybe if it was your kid or mother who was killed, you wouldn't make jokes like that...fiscal cliff? Better yet, it would have been nice if you were there as a human shield til the cops came. Pos
I'm sorry. I lost one of my grandfathers and a brother protecting this country. I do not know you but guess what.
Adam took the attention off Fiscal Cliff. That's what I heard from a good source.
That's me.
Read my other posts. Until the cops came. How dumb is that. Until the cops came.
Hey mommy I had a dream do t go to work tomorrow.
My heart hurts, my tears fall, for I do not know any of the victims, but my prayers will be steady for all of the familiy..God now has 20 more little ANGLES .May God give strength to all of the Families.God bless each one of you.
yeah right.Your not sad,stop lying
Your "god" likes to kill children....haven't you read your bible?
Its time to quit this religious mind fog.
Its time to take complete responcibility for ones self....not point to a demon and a magic cloud man.
@KYAtheist: As an atheist, you are you own god. You worship your mind and your reason. Hey, if that's what you want then knock yourself out.