Shooting at Elementary School In Connecticut; 27 Reported Dead

by Jamie Langbein ’13

Monday December 17, 10:40 AM: Since the last update, names of the deceased have been released. There was a vigil for all the victims on Sunday, which President Obama attended.

Motive for the shooting is still unclear. Lanza is believed to have had some sort of learning disability that may have contributed to his motive. Lanza’s brother and father were taken into custody and questioned, but are not believed to have had anything to do with the rampage.

An autopsy done on Saturday indicated that all victims had been hit multiple times. One body was discovered with 11 bullets in it. Hundreds of shots were fired at point blank range, according to the coroner.

According to authorities, Lanza was equipped with numerous high-capacity ammunition magazines for the .223-caliber assault rifle when he entered the building, indicating that he may have had something much bigger planned but was stopped short by the arrival of law enforcement.

Much is still unknown about the cause of this event. Authorities are still investigating possible causes of the rampage. Another update will be made as more information becomes available.

CORRECTION: Earlier it was said that Lanza’s mother was a teacher at the school. On Saturday, however, the superintendent of the county told the press that this was indeed false; Lanza’s mother had no apparent connection to the school except that Lanza may have gone to Sandy Hook when he was young.

Friday December 14 9:00 PM: Since the last update, the final death count is 26 people killed, not including the killer, who has now been identified as 20-year oldAdam Lanza. After killing the principal of the school, the school psychologist, and his own mother, a kindergarten teacher at the school, Lanza took his own life. Lanza killed his mother at their home before driving to the school and targeting his mother’s class.

The slaughter of such young and innocent children resonated painfully throughout the United States. While delivering a statement on the tragic occurrence, President Obama was shown wiping tears from his eyes.

All information is still not clear about the occurrence of the events. Please stay tuned for updates.

 

Friday December 14, 1:36 PM: Around 9:30 this morning, shots were fired at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut. According to multiple reports, an estimated 27 people are dead, 18 of them being children. SWAT and FBI have been called to the scene, which is still under investigation. Children were evacuated from the school and are being held at a local fire station.

One child reported to MSNBC news that she heard “seven loud booms, and then the gym teachers told us to go in the corner, so we all huddled. I kept hearing these booming noises”. The group of children was ushered into an office by their teachers, where they were then found by a police officer who evacuated them from the school.

The shooter, who is now dead, is reported to be a parent of one of the students at the school. Reports of a second shooter are unconfirmed, but the police have a potential second shooter in custody.

Updates will be made as more information becomes available.

Photo Credit: msn.com