December 14th, 2012
11:18 PM ET

Children and adults gunned down in Connecticut school massacre

  • 20 children, six adults and the shooter are dead after shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday morning
  • Three law enforcement officials say Adam Lanza, 20, was the shooter, and that he died apparently by his own hand
  • Suspect's mother, Nancy Lanza, found dead in suspect’s home in Newtown, law enforcement source says
  • Ryan Lanza, 24, older brother of Adam Lanza, questioned by police but not labeled a suspect, three law enforcement officials say
  • Below are the latest updates as they come to us. You also can read our story of the Connecticut school shooting

[Updated at 11:18 p.m. ET] Aimee Seaver, the mother of a first-grade girl at Sandy Hook and a fifth-grader who attends a different school, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that her children are having trouble dealing with what happened.

"It's a very rough night here," she said. "When your first-grader goes to bed and says, 'Mommy, is anyone from my class last year - are they all OK?' and you look at them and say, 'I'm not really sure,' it's a rough night to tell that to your 7-year-old."

Her younger daughter has asked a lot of questions about Principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, who was killed.

“She got wind very quickly that something was wrong with our principal, which we didn’t tell her till just now that yes, she was definitely hurt and it wasn’t good," Seaver said. "It’s taking her a while. I think tomorrow will probably be harder for her.

“I also have a fifth-grader who came off the bus crying because she … had a sister who she was worried about, and … just basically left that school a few months ago. I think for a lot of those kids, they kind of are a little older and can get it a little bit faster, even though they weren’t in it.

“So the questions, I think, are coming. They’re not here, yet, especially for the littler ones. It started as I put them to bed tonight, the questions.â€

[Updated at 10:50 p.m. ET] Janet Vollmer, a kindergarten teacher at the school, says she locked her classroom doors and - to keep her students calm - read them a story until the police came.

Vollmer, her 19 students and the adult helpers in her classroom were not injured.

"You could hear what sounded like pops, gunshots. Of course, I’m not going to tell that to 5-year-olds, so I said to them, ‘We’re going over in a safe area,'" Vollmer told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "And we read a story and we kept them calm, did a lockdown drill, closed the doors, locked (them), covered the windows, and kept the children with us.â€

She said the children knew something unusual was going on.

“It didn’t seem a natural thing (to the children), although we do practice drills," Vollmer said. "We said, ‘We’re not really sure, but we’re going to be safe, because we’re sitting over here and we’re all together.’â€

When asked how she kept cool, she said: “With 5-year-olds, you can’t lose it. I’ve been doing this for a long time, it’s my 18th year of teaching. My job was to keep them safe."

"After we got down to the firehouse, later on, as a lot of the events started to unfold throughout the day  I think some of (the children) realized the magnitude of what was going on.," she said. "They saw other people upset. We just held them close until their parents came and we released them.â€

[Updated at 8:58 p.m. ET] Denise Correia says her daughter, a Sandy Hook Elementary second-grader who was not injured, heard the gunshots from the classroom she was in. The girl, while talking about the shooting with Correia, has been mentioning slain principal Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung "quite a lot."

"I think everyone's coping as best as they possibly can," Correia told CNN's Anderson Cooper. "I'm letting her talk. She's mentioned quite a bit about the principal, who many of us have worked with. I adored her. I worked with her personally with my business. That is one person I know we have lost on a personal level."

Correia said she has heard that her daughter's teacher, when the gunfire started, grabbed two kids from the hallway, put them into her classroom with other students, locked the door and gathered the students to a side of the room away from the gunfire. "She did a very heroic thing," Correia said of the teacher.

"The kids are going to suffer from this," Correia said. "... We lost a lot of babies today in this town, and there are a lot of very sad families."

[Updated at 8:20 p.m. ET] One injured victim, a female employee of the school, is "doing well," Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance said.

[Updated at 7:53 p.m. ET] The public release of the victims' names may come on Saturday morning, Connecticut State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance says.

Vance said investigators have made preliminary identifications of the bodies, and that they've notified the appropriate families. But investigators want to make final, positive identifications before releasing the names to the media.

"It's a horrific scene," Vance said. "Between our mutual experience, we've never seen anything like this."

Vance said the next briefing from state police would be at 8 a.m. ET Saturday.

[Updated at 7:48 p.m. ET] U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, says her thoughts and prayers are with the families.

"This really hits close to home," said DeLauro, who said she is visiting her grandchildren in Washington, D.C. "These beautiful young angels who had so much to live for - and it seems so senseless. Unthinkable that this could happen ,but it has, and now, as the president said, we come together, we wrap our arms around these families and hold them close to our hearts."

[Updated at 7:10 p.m. ET] Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, offered his prayers for the families of those affected by the Connecticut shooting, according to a release from the group.

The shooting "wrenches the hearts of all people," he said.

"Once again we speak against the culture of violence infecting our country even as we prepare to welcome the Prince of Peace at Christmas," Dolan said. "All of us are called to work for peace in our homes, our streets and our world, now more than ever.â€

Faisal Ali, right, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, joins other people outside the White House in Washington, D.C., to participate in a vigil to remember the Connecticut school shooting on Friday.

[Updated at 6:51 p.m. ET] A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation says the three guns found at the shooting site were legally purchased by Nancy Lanza, the mother of the suspect in the shooting.

According to the law enforcement official, the Glock and Sig Sauer handguns were found inside the school with the deceased gunman. The Bushmaster was found in a car outside the school. The official did not know if the car was registered to the gunman, to his mother or to someone else.

The official echoed what other law enforcement officials have told CNN: That Adam Lanza was the suspected gunman, and that he died at the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

[Updated at 6:44 p.m. ET] Three U.S. law enforcement officials, from different agencies, separately tonight identified the suspected shooter as Adam Lanza, contrary to what investigators had said previously. It is not clear what caused the confusion among investigators.

His older brother, Ryan, was taken into custody for general questioning from a home in Hoboken, New Jersey. Officials did not label Ryan Lanza as a suspect. It is unclear when he may be released.

One of the officials say Adam’s father was also taken in for similar questioning. There is no indication that the father will be charged. The official noted the father has remarried and lives with his new wife in a residence in the general area of Connecticut not too far from where his ex-wife lived.

[Updated at 6:43 p.m. ET] CNN’s Susan Candiotti is talking to investigators at the scene as they piece together exactly what happened and when. She says she’s learned that the mother of the suspected shooter, Nancy Lanza, was found dead in the suspect’s home in Newtown.

“Earlier we had information that she was found in the classroom. However, now I’m being told that in fact her body was found at the suspect's residence," Candiotti said. "We don't know whether she also lived there. We also don't know the timeline - when was she killed? Was she killed before the shooting began at the school? These are the things that authorities are still trying to piece together.â€

[Updated at 6:02 p.m. ET] "Evil visited this community today," Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy just told reporters in Newtown. "And it's too early to speak of recovery, but each parent, each sibling, each member of the family has to understand that Connecticut - we're all in this together.

"We'll do whatever we can to overcome this event. We will get through it. But this is a terrible time for this community and these families."

[Updated at 5:14 p.m. ET] The mother of the suspected shooter was found dead in her son's residence in Newtown, a law enforcement source with detailed knowledge of the investigation told CNN. CNN had previously identified the mother as Nancy Lanza, a teacher at the Sandy Hook Elementary, according to law enforcement sources.

The source also told CNN there was no body found in the house searched by authorities in Hoboken, New Jersey. Two law enforcement sources say a man was taken away from questioning from that house. He is believed to be the brother of the shooter, according to the sources.

The first law enforcement source says the school shooter was dressed in "black battle fatigues and a military vest."

The Bushmaster .223 found at the scene is a semi automatic weapon, the source says. Two other weapons found were handguns, a Sig-Sauer and a Glock.

[Updated at 5:10 p.m. ET] We just learned that Governor Dannel P. Malloy will be speaking at Treadwell Park in Newtown, Connecticut, at 6:00 p.m. ET.

[Updated at 5:04  p.m. ET] We've just received a statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan about the shooting:

"School shootings are always incomprehensible and horrific tragedies. But words fail to describe today's heartbreaking and savage attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As the father of two children in elementary school, I can barely imagine the anguish and losses suffered today by the Newtown community.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to every parent, child, teacher, staff member, and administrator at Sandy Hook and the surrounding community. And our thanks go out to every teacher, staff member, and first responder who cared for, comforted, and protected children from harm, often at risk to themselves. We will do everything in our power to assist and support the healing and recovery of Newtown."

[Updated at 5:01  p.m. ET] Law enforcement officials are not prepared to identify the shooter right now, Connecticut State PoliceLt. J. Paul Vance said in a press conference.

Vance said that they are working diligently at the crime scene as well as with the medical examiner to identify the victims.

"We will leave no stone unturned," Vance added about the entire investigation.

[Updated at 4:54 p.m. ET] We are now being told there was no body found in the Hoboken, New Jersey, home as had been previously reported.

[Updated at 4:23 p.m. ET] We have learned that Connecticut police have searched the suspected gunman's home and place of employment in the wake of Friday's mass shooting, Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

They have also interviewed his friends, relatives and "everyone who possibly had any connection with him whatsoever," he said.

[Updated at 4:11 p.m. ET] Police did not discharge their weapons at any time when responding at the school, police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. However, he could not confirm whether the suspected shooter - who died at the scene - killed himself, saying that would have to be determined by the medical examiner.

[Updated at 4:07 p.m. ET] Mark Kelly, who's lived through this kind of horror, has issued a statement. He's the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who was shot in the head at a massacre in Tucson, Arizona, in January 2011. Here's what he said:

I just woke up in my hotel room in Beijing, China, to learn that another mass shooting has taken place - this time at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and the entire community of Newtown, CT. I just spoke to Gabby, and she sends her prayers from Tucson.

As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right. This time our response must consist of more than regret, sorrow, and condolence. The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait.

[Updated at 3:56 p.m. ET] The principal killed was Dawn Hochsprung. We received this photo via Newtown.Patch.com.

[Updated at 3:54 p.m. ET] Three guns were found at the scene, CNN's Susan Candiotti reports. According to a law enforcement source, the third weapon found on the scene was a .223 Bushmaster. The other weapons, previously reported, are a Glock, and a Sig-Sauer. No word on the models of Glock or Sig-Sauer.

[Updated at 3:51 p.m. ET] A federal law enforcement source tells CNN's John King the information from the scene is that the shooter arrived and headed directly toward and to his mother’s classroom. That and the other information now emerging - another family member killed, police interviews - lead them to believe his mother was the primary target. But they note he also came armed with clear intention of mass killing.

[Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET] There were a total of 27 people dead at the school, Lt. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police said.

Six adults, 20 children and the shooter were killed. Eighteen students were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others died at the hospital, said Lt. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police. The six adults died at the scene.

[Updated at 3:43 p.m. ET] Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance has just said that the shooting took place in one section of the school and in two rooms.

[Updated at 3:33 p.m. ET] Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy called the mass shooting "a tragedy of unspeakable terms."

"Earlier today a tragedy of unspeakable terms played itself out in this community," Malloy said, adding that "you can never be prepared for this kind of incident.

"A number of our citizens, beautiful children, had their life taken away from them as well as adults whose responsibility it was to educate and supervise those children," Malloy said.

[Updated at 3:22 p.m. ET] It appears that another member of the alleged shooter's family is dead. A senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation says a brother of the alleged shooter was found dead in a home searched in Hoboken, New Jersey. We already knew the suspect's mother was found dead in the elementary school.

(6:43 p.m. ET update - CNN’s Susan Candiotti is talking to investigators and has now learned that the mother of the suspected shooter was found dead in the suspect’s home in Newtown. No brother of the suspect has been found dead, and no one has been found dead in the home in Hoboken, New Jersey, investigators say.)

[Updated at 3:16 p.m. ET] From the president: "I offered Gov. Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation."

The president appears to be emotional, he's wiping his eye.

Here's more of what he's saying:

"We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. Each time I learn the news I react not as a president but as anybody else would as a parent.

"That was especially true today.

"I know there's not a parent in America that doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.

"The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.

"They had their entire lives ahead of them, birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own.

Obama sighed.

"Among the fallen were also teachers - men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams. Our hearts are broken today for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these children and the families of the adults we lost.

"Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early, and there are no words that will ease their pain.

"As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago - these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.

"This evening Michelle and I will do what every parent in America will do - hug our children a little tighter and tell them that we love them.

"There are families in Connecticut that cannot do that tonight and they need all of us tonight.

"May God bless the memory of the victims and in the words of scripture heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds."

[Updated at 3:14 p.m. ET] The president will talk soon. You can watch him on our live stream here.

[Updated at 3:12 p.m. ET] President Obama has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff as a mark of respect for the victims “of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut,†according to a release from the White House.

[Updated at 3:09 p.m. ET] The suspect's mother was shot and killed at the school, according to source close to the investigation. She was a teacher there.

And we now know that Ryan Lanza, the suspected gunman, was 24.

(6:44 p.m. ET update - (Three U.S. law enforcement officials say the suspected gunman was Adam Lanza, not his brother Ryan Lanza as officials had previously said. It is not clear what caused the confusion among investigators. Ryan Lanza was picked up from a home in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Friday and has been questioned but has not been labeled as a suspect, officials now say. Also, CNN’s Susan Candiotti is talking to investigators and has now learned that the mother of the suspected shooter was found dead in the suspect’s home in Newtown)

[Updated at 3:01 p.m. ET] The principal and guidance counselor at Sandy Hook Elementary School were both killed during the shooting, according to a witness that spoke to CNN.

[Updated at 2:52 p.m. ET] We have just learned via a tweet from House Speaker John Boehner that flags at the U.S. Capitol will be lowered.

[tweet https://twitter.com/SpeakerBoehner/status/279674241979400192%5D

[Updated at 2:47 p.m. ET] President Obama will make a statement on the tragedy at 3:15 p.m. ET. We'll have that live on CNN TV and right here.

[Updated at 2:45 p.m. ET] Various locations are being used as staging areas around Newtown. This is outside the Newtown Methodist Church near the school where a woman is hugging a child.

[Updated at 2:39 p.m. ET] Federal law enforcement officials have told CNN's John King that the shooting happened quickly and happened in a concentrated area.

[Updated at 2:32 p.m. ET] Connecticut Gov. Malloy will be in Newtown and talk about the tragedy today at 3:30 p.m. ET.

[Updated at 2:20 p.m. ET] We are now hearing from CNN's Mary Snow, who is reporting from outside the suspect's home, that dozens of law enforcement officials are on the scene.

Neighbors are "shaken," Snow said.

[Updated at 2:11 p.m. ET] CNN's Susan Candiotti has just reported that a law enforcement official tells her the suspect is named Ryan Lanza and he is in his 20s.

[Updated at 2:09 p.m. ET] We're hearing even more devastating news out of Newtown, Connecticut. CNN's Susan Candiotti has been told that 18 to 20 of the dead are children.

[Updated at 2:07 p.m. ET] CNN's Jessica Yellin is reporting that we're likely to hear from President Obama today on the school shooting, according to a senior administration official. We don't know when our where we may hear from President Obama.

[Updated at 2:04 p.m. ET] Lisa Procaccini, the parent of an 8-year-old at the school, tells CNN that her daughter said school officials kept her calm during the shooting and told her the loud noise was hammering going on.

Eventually police came in and let her daughter and her teacher leave the school building.

"I'm even kind of numb about what's going on," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "I'm in a state of shock. I don't know how Im going to handle having [my daughter] know ... about the whole situation."

[Updated at 1:57 p.m. ET]  The death toll is closer to 30 than 20, a federal law enforcement source in Washington told CNN's John King.  Most of those killed are children, the source said.

The source also said the suspected gunman, who is dead, had a connection to the school. He would not elaborate on that connection. The source is in touch with authorities on the scene.

[Updated at 1:53 p.m. ET] Congresswoman-elect Elizabeth Esty, who was recently won a seat representing a district that includes Newtown, Connecticut, just released the following statement on the tragedy:

As a mother, I can only begin to imagine what the students, parents, teachers and staff of Sandy Hook Elementary must be experiencing. My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by this horrific tragedy. While details are still emerging, I hope for the safety and well being of the children, teachers and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary and for the Newtown community.

[Updated at 1:51 p.m. ET] We have just learned that the suspected shooter is 20-years-old, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN’s Susan Candiotti.

[Updated at 1:47 p.m. ET] A few more details from the White House press briefing earlier. White House spokesman Jay Carney said while today is not the day to debate gun policy, an assault weapons ban "does remain a commitment" of President Obama.

[Updated at 1:45 p.m. ET]  We are now learning that a male is being questioned by investigators, but he is not being called a suspect, CNN's Susan Candiotti reports.

[Updated at 1:42 p.m. ET] Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said the shooter is dead inside the school.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ljanyNT/status/279657796985823232%5D

Vance said there are a number of fatalities that includes both children and adults. He did not add more details about how many people were killed during the school shooting.

[Updated at 1:41 p.m. ET] Police have now begun their briefing on the shooting.

[Updated at 1:32 p.m. ET] We're hearing more from the scene of the massacre through tweets and interviews.

[tweet https://twitter.com/HenaDaniels/status/279651793150033922]

[tweet https://twitter.com/johnfrey/status/279652142447476736%5D

[Updated at 1:23 p.m. ET] President Obama has spoken to FBI Director Robert Mueller and Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy to get the latest information and express his condolences, White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

[Updated at 1:21 p.m. ET] We're now hearing that it may be a while for the briefing from the police.

[Updated at 1:17 p.m. ET] This was the scene from the air earlier, taken by News 12 Connecticut, with emergency vehicles in the school parking lot.

[Updated at 1:09 p.m. ET] The police are set to give a news conference soon where we'll learn more. We'll bring that to you as soon as it starts.

[Updated at 1:07 p.m. ET] Here's the chilling account told to CNN's Meredith Artley of what happened at the school.

[Updated at 12:59 p.m. ET] Many people are talking again about gun control. But White House spokesman Jay Carney isn't joining in for now.

"I think it's important on a day like today to view this as I know the president, as a father does and I as a father and others who are parents certainly do, which is to feel enormous sympathy for families that are affected and to do everything we can to support state and local law enforcement and support those who are enduring what appears to be a very tragic event.  There is, I'm sure, will be, rather, a day for discussion of the usual Washington policy debates but I don't think today is that day.

[Updated at 12:57 p.m. ET] From the News Times reporter at the school:

[tweet https://twitter.com/ljanyNT/status/279644862771523585]

[Updated at 12:48 p.m. ET] "Close to 20†people have been killed, including at least 10 children, a law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation says.

[Updated at 12:47 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama has been informed of the school shooting in Connecticut and will receive regular updates throughout the day, the White House said on Friday.

[Updated at 12:27 p.m. ET] The mom who spoke to CNN's Meredith Artley said she heard "at least 100 rounds" being fired.

The shooting began about 9:35 a.m., the parent said. There was a "pop pop pop" in the hall outside the room. Three people went out of the room into the hall where the sounds had come from. "Only one person came back," we were told.

The witness told Artley that she then called 911. She said she never saw the shooter but she later was escorted outside the room past two bodies lying in blood.

[Updated at 12:20 p.m. ET] A third-grader describes the shooting to WTNH:

[Updated at 12:16 p.m. ET] Two adults were killed, according to a parent who was at the school during the incident, and who talked to our colleague Meredith Artley.

[Updated at 12:12 p.m. ET] We just got this from U.S. Senator-elect Chris Murphy:

"I am shocked and saddened by the horrific news from Sandy Hook Elementary School this morning, and I pray that kids, teachers, staff, and families reach safety as quickly as possible. While we don't have much information right now, our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones."

[Updated at 12:05 p.m. ET] The shooter's body is in a classroom, a source with knowledge of the investigation tells CNN’s Susan Candiotti.

[Updated at 12:02 p.m. ET] Multiple local media are reporting there are fatalities. We're checking.

[Updated at noon ET] News Times reporter Libor Jany reports that all Newtown schools are on lockdown.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ljanyNT/status/279629101160087553]

[Updated at 11:58 a.m. ET] Danbury Hospital confirms it's treating some victims. It says this on its Facebook page:

To date, three patients have been transported to Danbury Hospital from the scene. Out of abundance of caution and not because of any direct threat Danbury Hospital is under lockdown. This allows us simply to focus on the important work at hand.

[Updated at 11:54 a.m. ET] Connecticut House Rep. John Frey has nieces and a nephew at the school and is tweeting updates.

[tweet https://twitter.com/johnfrey/status/279626856444067840]

[Updated at 11:47 a.m. ET] The dad of a student at the school told CNN affiliate WTNH there were about 600 pupils in the building at the time of the shooting.

[Updated at 11:45 a.m. ET] At least three people were wounded and are in "very serious" condition at a hospital in Danbury, Connecticut, that town's mayor, Mark Boughton told CNN. He couldn't say whether the victims were children.

[Updated at 11:44 a.m. ET] Andrew Doba, Director of Communications with Connecticut Governor Malloy's office, says they are  coordinating with local authorities and state police. They continue to monitor developments in Newtown. The governor is in Connecticut today.

[Updated at 11:40 a.m. ET] We're getting live pictures from the scene from CNN affiliates.

[Updated at 11:34 a.m. ET] The shooter is dead, a source with knowledge of the investigation, tells CNN’s Susan Candiotti.

Police have recovered two weapons from him, the source added.

It's not known whether police killed the alleged shooter or he took his own life. The source says one weapon recovered is a Glock and the other is a Sig Sauer.

[Updated at 11:27 a.m. ET] The Hartford Courant, citing police, said an unspecified number of people had been shot. The nature of their injuries was unclear, the newspaper said. But it cited police in saying one person had "numerous gunshot wounds."

[Updated at 11:19 a.m. ET] Affiliate WTNH says children are being taken to a nearby firehouse.

[tweet https://twitter.com/WTNH/status/279620094768852992]

[Updated at 11:10 a.m. ET] Details are still really sketchy, but we now have a photo from the Newtown Bee of children being led from the scene.

[Updated at 11:03 a.m. ET] We're still getting details in of how many people may have been hurt.

Newtown is southwest of Hartford:

[Updated at 10:53 a.m. ET] Sandy Hook school is on lockdown and students are not being evacuated, a Newtown police spokesman tells us.

[Posted at 10:30 a.m. ET] Breaking news coming in - Connecticut State Police are responding to reports of a shooting at a Newtown elementary school in southwestern Connecticut, according to police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance.

We'll bring you more details as soon as we get them.

Our affiliates in the area are saying the school is the Sandy Hook Elementary School.

CT Now says injuries are being reported. 

soundoff (9,611 Responses)
  1. Michael

    Everyone on here who is making this into a political debate should be ashamed of themselves. Children and other innocent people died today, and all you can do is turn this into a place to publish your selfish, political endeavors!?? Shame on you!!! This is not the time and place for politics! These poor kids will never get to experience life the way we take for granted. You should be more concerned about the lives that were lost today than over your stupid, political agendas.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • rubywyld

      It becomes political because we have two basic sides to this issue.. those who stand up in opposition to any gun control at all .. and those who want more strict laws where guns are concerned. No one should be ashamed for discussing it now.. this tragedy is the very reason we should be discussing it now... not for political check points but because this keeps happening. It's time to figure out why and what we can do to keep it from happening again. You can not have a Mass murder with a gun and not expect people to discuss gun laws and control.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • john tarkling

      Cops and soldiers can be criminals too...I'll support gun control when the government doesn't own guns!!!!

      December 14, 2012 at 8:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • john tarkling

      Cops and soldiers can be criminals too...I'll support gun control when the government doesn't own guns!!!! I'm starting to wonder if people are getting tired of having to comform to this biased racial and financial system?/?/? hmmm think outside your boxes.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • john tarkling

      Ban laws that keep us from disciplining our children!!!!!!

      December 14, 2012 at 9:05 pm | Report abuse |
    • john tarkling

      Ban the sickining Television and internet peverting the minds of our youth,teachers and every other facet of society

      December 14, 2012 at 9:11 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Korba

    Anyone who thinks a person's right to bear arms is more important than a child's life, is just as insane and evil as the shooter today.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:23 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mark

      A crazed wacko did this, he just happened to do it with guns.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:42 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Sick of It

    NRA members, explain to me how our currents gun laws are working. Better yet, explain it to the parents of these twenty children. How many more must die before you wake up?

    December 14, 2012 at 8:26 pm | Report abuse |
    • Laberhistan

      As it says the guns were illegally purchased, which can happen with or without laws just as easy. Please read all of the details as for gun laws not a NRA member and dont much approve of guns but gotta look at the facts as well no matter what "laws" are out there people are still going to find a way to get their hands on what they want.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:38 pm | Report abuse |
    • samcady1

      why are you going straight for the gun, guns have been around for many years as we all know. A gun is a piece of machinery with absolutely no mind of its own, it will not fire without human interaction fore it has no ability to act on its own will. I don't blame the machine for doing exactly what its meant to do I blame the sick man behind the rifle as should you.

      Stop being such an idiot.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:39 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Dale

    All news agencies sensationalizing issues like this with their talking heads going over and over issues like this, ""Causing Copycats to do the very same thing, and then committing suicide"".

    December 14, 2012 at 8:26 pm | Report abuse |
  5. t e

    Hate to ask if this killer every had a girl friend.

    probably not.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:28 pm | Report abuse |
  6. yucatanman

    News and nation are looking for motives.
    Why would someone do this?
    It was done because it could be.
    Ban guns.....

    December 14, 2012 at 8:28 pm | Report abuse |
    • john tarkling

      Cops and soldiers can be criminals too...I'll support gun control when the government doesn't own guns!!!!
      I'm starting to wonder if people are starting to get sick of having to conform to this media driven, racially, financially,and religiously biased society????hmmmmm.

      December 14, 2012 at 9:00 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Crazy world

    Really?

    December 14, 2012 at 8:29 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Korba

    Any person who thinks the right to bear arms is more important than a child's life, is just as evil as the shooter.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:29 pm | Report abuse |
    • Scott

      one has nothing to do with the other moron

      December 14, 2012 at 8:36 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Meido

    To all families who lost their kids,we feel the same way you feel. I hope you could be patient and pray for them.
    Your kids will be in heaven.
    unfortunately, this happens in syria everyday, may God help them and help you

    December 14, 2012 at 8:30 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Laurie

    Why are they showing kids being interviewed? It seems UNETHICAL. Were their parents there? I wouldn't want my kiddo to give an interview . . . repeating the story might not be the best thing for those babies. You cannot show a juvenile's face or share their name if he/she is connected with a crime . . . how is this okay?

    December 14, 2012 at 8:30 pm | Report abuse |
  11. LUCILA ANDRICH

    Yet again another tragedy. I've been watching local and national news coverage all day long.One thing that really strikes me, is that not one single news channel is willing to address the real issue here, GUN CONTROL. Wow, I know that the NRA has our government in it's pocket. Do they also control our national media? You can sit there and analyze the timeline, show us floor plans of the school, how the perpetrator moved about, interview friends of friends who know someone that is affected by this tragedy. Blah, blah, blah. The bottom line is that once again, a mentally disturbed person had possession of LEGALLY purchased lethal weapons that killed 20 innocent children. As a nation, we have to demand for change in our gun laws. I cry, and cry, and cry. How can we, as a nation, sit by and let this happen? I'm am disgusted. And disgusted by our national media that won't take a stand against the NRA.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:31 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mark

      How about we mourn a great tragedy first and then look at why and what to do? This isn't about gun control. We can't control all the guns and we shouldn't. We can only try to prevent the sickos from getting them. Mourn...........and pray for the survivors.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:37 pm | Report abuse |
    • rational

      Maybe we should let Iran get nuclear weapons...
      It's not the weapon that kill people, but people that kill people...

      December 14, 2012 at 8:38 pm | Report abuse |
    • Joe

      Gun control will not work! 911 Terrorists used box cutters, Chinese used knives to kill children in schools, Tim McVeigh used a fertilizer bomb. 99% of people who are killed unlawfully with guns are killed by people who don't have the gun legally to begin with and said gun is not registered to them. Evil Exists, and Evil Kills. By disarming those who abide by the laws will only help the criminals that don't legally own the weapons.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:39 pm | Report abuse |
    • Anatoli

      I totally agree. Certain things should prevail over making profits at all costs. At very least one should drastically raise gun taxes and use these money to monitor troubled people, their social network activity etc. like they do with potential terrorists. All recent mass murders are done by mentally troubled young people. One can at least check their gun purchasing records etc to raise red flags in advance.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:40 pm | Report abuse |
  12. Mac

    My wife has been a mental health counselor for twelve years and she has first hand knowledge of people that have the potential to commit these atrocities. It is not gun control! Yes, people need to be trained and licensed to own a gun but this is not the heart of the problem. Mental health counseling has been a neglected and underfunded aspect of our society for decades, just ask our veterans. We should require counseling for anyone that has a traumatic event...military, abuse, addiction, divorce, loss of a parent.... I know from experience, I cared for and witnessed the passing of my sister in law from cancer, she was 36, and had six children. Yes, it is not easy to determine who needs counselingg and who don't but friends and family need to offer options to get the proverbial ball rolling. Just like with terrorists, not that mentally ill people are terrorists, people need to be vigilant and report any abnormal behavior to authorities, so they can help not persecute. One day we will come to this realization, whether it is today or not is to be seen.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:31 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Bettendorf, IA

    I am a gun owner. I also believe in the right to own guns, but it is TOO EASY to purchase firearms in many states within this country. In Iowa, I can purchase multiple handguns and/or rifles in the same day. All residents of the age 18 or older (subject to a background search) can purchase and leave with a firearm the same day. If you obtain a permit to purchase a handgun, there also is no waiting period. This makes it waaaaayyyy to easy for someone to decide that they are going to carry something like this out, as they know the least of their concerns will be the actual act of obtaining the firearms and/or ammunition they require.

    I enjoy target shooting. I also enjoy military firearms for what they are – most are finely crafted 'machines', and I respect the work that went into them. They truly are works of art. BUT, I do not see any justifiable need for a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds for a private individual. If you're target shooting – this should not be an issue – if you're hunting, this should not be an issue. I see no reason to NOT give people a 3-6 month waiting period for a firearm unless they are permitted by the court system to obtain one specifically for official duties or self defense.

    I am a member of the NRA – I support hunting, sport shooting, and am a Republican. But, I'm also a parent of a 5 year old, I'm the husband of a teacher, and this hits home as it should for all but the shallowest of people. Many arguements are based on the 'LEGAL gun owners don't commit gun crimes, only criminals do'. That argument in many cases is a catch-all because the people that start shooting are often NOT criminals until they pull that trigger – it's just a cop out to insinuate that. Guns don't kill people, people do – correct. But, as a society, let us not forget that it's our duty to protect others on this earth to the best of our ability and within our rights, even if it means giving up some of our 'freedoms' so that they can benefit.

    Cross-party bickering will not end. This is a reality. Guns will still exist, and be in the hands of private individuals (both legally and illegally). I don't see this ending. Crimes like this will still happen. Criminals will still exist. But, while these items are inevitable, one must not say that we failed simply because we failed to try. These kids, and ours, deserve better.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:32 pm | Report abuse |
    • russ

      I also am a gun owner and member of the NRA. I also believe the gun laws are too lax but I don't feel the need to ban AR-15 or AK style weapons. Limit the capacity of the individual magazines. I own an AR and I have several reasons not to own an AK. Mostly because they are communist made. But anyway, 30 round mags are what I have most because here in Alabama it is ok and the price difference is not that much. We need to make the gun regulation in place work, not come up with new laws. A ban on "assault type weapons" is not the answer. Semi-automatics should be ok and there are laws against full auto. If there are limits on the magazines and actually do background checks and not let those who legally can't own or have guns to have them. Yes, there will still be thefts but you can't regulate that either. We must not let emotions rule the day. Today of all day's should show what happens when a person lets emotion rule their actions. No good can come of it.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:42 pm | Report abuse |
    • DMG2FUN

      "but it is TOO EASY to purchase firearms in many states within this country."
      All of the guns used in this shooting were legally purchased. Background checks done. And why should a right be hard to exercise? Society is turning out people like you that have no respect for the rights of others.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:42 pm | Report abuse |
    • john tarkling

      Cops and soldiers can be criminals too...I'll support gun control when the government doesn't own guns!!!!

      December 14, 2012 at 8:45 pm | Report abuse |
    • horrified

      Thank you for your post. Gun control doesn't mean taking way guns of sane responsible people. Only making very hard for people who are not mature, or have mental health issues to easily obtain them. it won't stop evil but will prevent tragedies. Gun owner to held responsible for their guns falling in wrong hands. And 18 is not appropriate age for owning a gun. Kindergarteners. NRA members: if you can, imagine these kids last moments.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mo Brown

      I'm a middle age American. Guns have been around several centuries. Farmers used them to protect livestock. Hunters to put food on the table. When you allow your minor children, especially boys to play violent video games, you could be assisting them into becoming desensitized to violence and killing. You make some valid points about gun laws. However, ALL OF THESE HORRIFIC crimes have been committed by young males below age 25. High levels of testosterone plus anger lead to violence in any culture. Now we have video games encouraging people to virtually kill other human beings. Guns may not be the only factor here. A nation wide study needs to be done on violence and video games. Some of these kids, males especially, spend hours in front of a screen becoming desensitized to violence. This has only happened in the past 15 years when games such as Mortal Combat, Halo, Resident Evil, etc. are readily available on every retail store shelf.

      December 14, 2012 at 8:49 pm | Report abuse |
    • Ant

      I own guns and after this i would give them up if I knew not one more child would be killed by one

      December 14, 2012 at 9:14 pm | Report abuse |
    • Dragon Slayer Lights Your Fire

      Finally, a republican gun owner that finally has some common sense and gave a good argument to this debate of gun control. I like him!

      December 14, 2012 at 10:14 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Varinder Gill

    A world leader nation is lost in political rhetoric and stalemates on life or death matters of its citizens. Keep up your bickering and bashing of one another in the Senate and Congress...your people will continue to keep taking it up the you know what...God bless the common U.S. Citizen...stop believing in your electoral representatives and take some extensive action...your revolution is long overdue. God speed.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:33 pm | Report abuse |
  15. rhk111

    Part of the problem is that there are no armed guards at the school. Americans don't want armed people to even protect them, so any nutball can just walk into a school and start shooting away, like what happened in this case.

    December 14, 2012 at 8:33 pm | Report abuse |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303