AP: 18 kids among 27 dead in Conn. shooting
An official with knowledge of the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown says the gunman is among the dead.
Newtown school shooting: Sandy Hook Elementary
A gunman is dead and a teacher was wounded Friday morning during a
shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn., the
Associated Press reports. The FBI, Connecticut State Police, and the
Newtown Police are responding.
According to Google Maps, the street appears to be in a neighborhood off of Interstate 84:
Vance said officers who arrived at the school entered the building and found the slain and injured students and adults.
Vance described the secondary crime scene related to the shooting as a residence “not too, too far away” from the school.
“We’re responding and checking everything and anything that could possibly be related to the tragedy,” Vance said.
Now, other organizations, such as the New York Post, are saying the shooting suspect may have a different name. Gov. Dannel Malloy and state police gave no new information about the shooter’s identity during the most recent press conference in Newtown. But in conversations with Post reporters, law enforcement officials are saying there is now some confusion about the identity of the gunman and that the shooter could be a relative of someone named Ryan Lanza.
Adding to the confusion, a number of news sites (including The Post, for a few minutes) noted this Facebook page as belonging to shooting suspect Ryan Lanza. Details from that Ryan Lanza Facebook account matched up with some of what was known about the Ryan Lanza whom police identified as the alleged shooter — both have connections to Newtown, Conn., and Hoboken, N.J.
There were no recent updates on that Ryan Lanza’s public Facebook profile. But across social media platforms, people shared snapshots that appeared to show the owner of that Facebook account renouncing any involvement in the shooting. The account has since been deleted.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry trade group, which is headquartered in Newtown, Conn., issued the following statement:
“Tell Jay Carney today IS the day to talk about gun violence,” an organizer wrote in an e-mail announcing the event. “We demand a plan to stop the slaughter of our children.”
Read more about the protest on the Post Politics blog.
Read more on how U.S. gun homicides compare to the rest of the world on the WorldViews blog.
“This evening, Michelle and I will do what every parent in America will tonight, which is hug our children a little tighter and tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind ourselves how deeply we need them,” he said.
The president offered his condolences to the victims and to the survivors, noting that this kind of tragedy was not rare. The Newtown shooting comes just days after a gunman killed two people and himself at a Portland, Ore., shopping mall.
“Our hearts are broken today for the parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults that were lost,” the president said. “Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors, as well. For as blessed as they are to have their children come home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early.”
Read the full remarks here.
In fact, mass shootings appear to have little immediate impact on the public’s perception of gun laws, and the public increasingly views these shootings as “isolated incidents,” not signs of social problems, according to polling data.
Below, some more findings on how Americans feel about mass shootings and gun laws from The Washington Post’s Scott Clement:
An 8-year-old boy told a local CBS affiliate that bullets were flying past his him in a school hallway when a teacher pulled him into her classroom and saved his life. The bullets sounded “like someone was kicking the door,” he said. (Footage of the child and his mother is at the 0:20 point.)
A 17-year-old who lived nearby raced to the school to find his little sister after hearing gunshot echos, according to the Boston Globe. The sister, age 9, heard a scream on the intercom but was otherwise fine.
CNN reports:
Parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
See more photographs here.
A law enforcement official says the attacker in the Connecticut elementary school shooting was a 20-year-old man with ties to the school.
Vance said that several people were killed in the shooting, including students and staff. The shooter is dead inside the building, and the building has been secured.
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) is at the White House for a bill-signing, according to aides. His office issued a statement saying, “Senator Lieberman and his staff are closely monitoring the situation in Newtown, CT. The Senator’s and Hadassah’s prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy today. What is important now it to give the first responders and local authorities the support needed to address the situation as it changes and keep the community of Newtown safe.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the state’s former attorney general, commented via Twitter about two hours after the shooting:
A woman waits to hear about her sister, a teacher. (Jessica Hill/AP)
Mother of Lanza among first killed
While some sources said Ryan Lanza may not have been the shooter, law enforcement officials believe that the killer was a relative of Lanza’s mother, a kindergarten teacher at the school. Lanza’s mother was among the first killed, and many of the young victims were her students, sources said.Police on Yoganda Street, Newtown, Conn.
Connecticut State Police say there is a secondary crime scene related to the deadly shooting this morning at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Police haven’t confirmed any details. But local reporters in Connecticut have seen a heavy amount of police and ambulatory activity on Yoganda Street, where the Lanza family has a residence. Police have identified Ryan Lanza as the deceased gunman, but there have since been conflicting reports about the name of the shooter.According to Google Maps, the street appears to be in a neighborhood off of Interstate 84:
Connecticut State Police: Police never fired their weapons
Lt. J. Paul Vance, a spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, said in an interview with CNN that it doesn’t appear that any law enforcement officials fired their weapons at the school. This matches with earlier reports that the gunman had killed himself.Vance said officers who arrived at the school entered the building and found the slain and injured students and adults.
Vance described the secondary crime scene related to the shooting as a residence “not too, too far away” from the school.
“We’re responding and checking everything and anything that could possibly be related to the tragedy,” Vance said.
Confusion over suspected shooter’s identity
There is confusion about the identity of the gunman in the Newtown school shooting. This afternoon, The Washington Post and other news organizations reported that law enforcement officials had identified Ryan Lanza as the shooter who killed students and staff at Sandy Hook Elementary earlier in the day.Now, other organizations, such as the New York Post, are saying the shooting suspect may have a different name. Gov. Dannel Malloy and state police gave no new information about the shooter’s identity during the most recent press conference in Newtown. But in conversations with Post reporters, law enforcement officials are saying there is now some confusion about the identity of the gunman and that the shooter could be a relative of someone named Ryan Lanza.
Adding to the confusion, a number of news sites (including The Post, for a few minutes) noted this Facebook page as belonging to shooting suspect Ryan Lanza. Details from that Ryan Lanza Facebook account matched up with some of what was known about the Ryan Lanza whom police identified as the alleged shooter — both have connections to Newtown, Conn., and Hoboken, N.J.
There were no recent updates on that Ryan Lanza’s public Facebook profile. But across social media platforms, people shared snapshots that appeared to show the owner of that Facebook account renouncing any involvement in the shooting. The account has since been deleted.
I'm FB friends with the profile being sent around. This is a real screen grab. pic.twitter.com/YuEIdkW5
This post has been updated
The Connecticut State Police have released numbers of those killed in the Newtown shooting:
18 children were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary.
2 children died at a hospital.
6 adults were killed in the shooting.
1 additional adult, the gunman, died at Sandy Hook Elementary.
1 adult was found dead at a secondary crime scene.
”A number of our citizens, beautiful children, had their lives taken from them, as well as adults,” he said.
Malloy said that the shooter was dead, as was “a person that the perpetrator lived with.”
He thanked President Obama and the other public officials who have helped or reached out.
After Malloy spoke, he stepped aside for law enforcement officials. They emphasized that this was an “active, ongoing case” with many elements they couldn’t discuss. In response to a question from a reporter, a law enforcement official said there was one shooter, but stressed again that they were still investigating.
There were 27 total deaths in the Connecticut school, according to officials. That total includes 20 children, six adults and the shooter. In addition, one person was found dead at a “secondary crime scene.”
The Connecticut State Police have released numbers of those killed in the Newtown shooting:
18 children were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary.
2 children died at a hospital.
6 adults were killed in the shooting.
1 additional adult, the gunman, died at Sandy Hook Elementary.
1 adult was found dead at a secondary crime scene.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy: ‘beautiful children’
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) addressed the media minutes ago:”A number of our citizens, beautiful children, had their lives taken from them, as well as adults,” he said.
Malloy said that the shooter was dead, as was “a person that the perpetrator lived with.”
He thanked President Obama and the other public officials who have helped or reached out.
After Malloy spoke, he stepped aside for law enforcement officials. They emphasized that this was an “active, ongoing case” with many elements they couldn’t discuss. In response to a question from a reporter, a law enforcement official said there was one shooter, but stressed again that they were still investigating.
There were 27 total deaths in the Connecticut school, according to officials. That total includes 20 children, six adults and the shooter. In addition, one person was found dead at a “secondary crime scene.”
Statement from National Shooting Sports Foundation
From The Washington Post’s Peter Finn:The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the gun industry trade group, which is headquartered in Newtown, Conn., issued the following statement:
Our hearts go out to the families of the victims of this horrible tragedy in our community. Out of respect for the families, the community and the ongoing police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment or participate in media requests at this time.
Gun violence protest outside White House set for 4:30 p.m.
In light of today’s shooting in Connecticut and remarks from White House press secretary Jay Carney, a group of gun control advocates are planning a protest at Lafayette Park outside the White House at 4:30 p.m.“Tell Jay Carney today IS the day to talk about gun violence,” an organizer wrote in an e-mail announcing the event. “We demand a plan to stop the slaughter of our children.”
Read more about the protest on the Post Politics blog.
U.S. has world’s highest rate of gun ownership, 88 per 100 people
The United States has the highest rate of gun ownership in the world, and according to this map by The Guardian’s Simon Rogers, America’s rate of gun-related homicides also compares unfavorably to many other developed countries.
Read more on how U.S. gun homicides compare to the rest of the world on the WorldViews blog.
President Obama speaks on Newtown shooting
President Obama addressed the public from the White House shortly after 3:15 p.m., wiping tears from his eyes as he spoke about the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.“This evening, Michelle and I will do what every parent in America will tonight, which is hug our children a little tighter and tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind ourselves how deeply we need them,” he said.
The president offered his condolences to the victims and to the survivors, noting that this kind of tragedy was not rare. The Newtown shooting comes just days after a gunman killed two people and himself at a Portland, Ore., shopping mall.
“Our hearts are broken today for the parents, grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults that were lost,” the president said. “Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors, as well. For as blessed as they are to have their children come home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early.”
Read the full remarks here.
AP report: Gunman’s brother in police custody
The AP is reporting that the younger brother of the 24-year-old gunman Ryan Lanza is in police custody. According to an anonymous law enforcement official, the brothers’ mother, Nancy Lanza, works as a teacher at the school.Despite mass shootings, mixed support for tighter gun laws
Before last summer’s shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo., 52 percent of Americans supported stricter gun laws. After the shooting, that percentage was virtually unchanged.In fact, mass shootings appear to have little immediate impact on the public’s perception of gun laws, and the public increasingly views these shootings as “isolated incidents,” not signs of social problems, according to polling data.
Below, some more findings on how Americans feel about mass shootings and gun laws from The Washington Post’s Scott Clement:
- The public expressed broader support for tightening gun laws before Obama’s election, though the reason for the drop has not been firmly established.
- Americans polled consistently believed, from 2000 to 2011, that the best way to reduce gun violence is by enforcing existing laws rather than passing new laws.
- In early 2011, Americans preferred stricter enforcement by a 57 to 29 percent margin in a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
- A Pew Research Center found 67 percent of the public said the shooting in Colorado is emblematic of an isolated act of troubled individuals, not evidence of broader problems in society. (That’s up significantly from 58 percent after the 2011 shootings in Tucson, Ariz., where then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was injured and 47 percent following the 2007 shooting spree at Virginia Tech.)
- A January 2011 Washington Post-ABC News poll found a 57 percent majority supported banning high-capacity ammunition clips with more than 10 bullets, but two-thirds opposed an across-the-board ban on handgun sales.
- The public split about evenly on semiautomatic handguns (48 percent supported ban, 50 opposed), a shift from 2007 when the public supported such a ban by 55 to 41 percent in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings.
Obama to speak at 3:15 p.m. (VIDEO)
Watch live video of President Obama’s remarks:Stories of heroism from Sandy Hook
Amidst the death and tragedy at Sandy Hook, some stories of heroism have emerged this afternoon.An 8-year-old boy told a local CBS affiliate that bullets were flying past his him in a school hallway when a teacher pulled him into her classroom and saved his life. The bullets sounded “like someone was kicking the door,” he said. (Footage of the child and his mother is at the 0:20 point.)
A 17-year-old who lived nearby raced to the school to find his little sister after hearing gunshot echos, according to the Boston Globe. The sister, age 9, heard a scream on the intercom but was otherwise fine.
Quotes from on the scene at Sandy Hook Elementary
Reporters on the ground in Connecticut are starting to share reactions from students who were in the building at Sandy Hook Elementary. And there are reports that a big brother heard the gunfire and raced to the school to check on his younger sister:4th grader tells me a scream was heard over the intercom this morning and then shut off. #Newtown #SandyHook
Mergim Bajraliu, 17, heard shots echo from his home and raced to check on his 9-year-old sister at the school: b.globe.com/SYXHuA #Newtown
3rd grader tells me she was in gym class and heard gunshots. Entire class huddled in corner to stay safe. #Newtown
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.
Statement from Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, recalling the deadly mass shooting at Virginia Tech more than five years ago, released the following statement this afternoon:It is with a heavy heart and the deepest of sympathies that I learned earlier today of the horrific shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those impacted by the events transpiring today, and to the teachers, emergency responders, and all others touched by this tragedy. Unfortunately, Virginia has our own painful memories of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007. Those memories will never fade, and we continue to grieve for all those lost on that April day. We are all too aware of the impact that events like this can have on a community. If there is anything Virginia can do to assist Governor Malloy and the citizens of Connecticut, we stand ready to do so
Ryan Lanza: Newtown shooter identified
A law enforcement official confirmed that the gunman’s name is Ryan Lanza. Before the school shooting today, he fatally shot his mother. His mother worked at the school. A handgun and a rifle have been recovered inside the school. A second person is being questioned, but at this point, law enforcement don’t think he is involved. The gunman killed himself.Photos from the Newtown shooting aftermath
Parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
Police
tape off an area around a car after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary
School in Newtown, Connecticut, December 14, 2012.
(REUTERS/WNBC/Handout)
Parents
pick-up their children after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School
in Newtown, Connecticut. (REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin)
A
woman holds a child as people line up to enter the Newtown Methodist
Church near the the scene of the elementary school shooting. (Photo by
Douglas Healey/Getty Images)
A young girl is given a blanket after being evacuated from Sandy Hook Elementary School. (REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin)
AP: Source says 20-year-old shooting suspect had ties to the school
The Associated Press reports:A law enforcement official says the attacker in the Connecticut elementary school shooting was a 20-year-old man with ties to the school.
Conn. State Police: Several students and staff members killed; gunman dead inside school building
Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said at an afternoon press conference that a call came in to 911 shortly after 9:30 a.m. from the elementary school. Newton police called State Police around 9:40 a.m., he said.Vance said that several people were killed in the shooting, including students and staff. The shooter is dead inside the building, and the building has been secured.
Connecticut’s senators react
From The Post’s Ed O’Keefe:Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) is at the White House for a bill-signing, according to aides. His office issued a statement saying, “Senator Lieberman and his staff are closely monitoring the situation in Newtown, CT. The Senator’s and Hadassah’s prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy today. What is important now it to give the first responders and local authorities the support needed to address the situation as it changes and keep the community of Newtown safe.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the state’s former attorney general, commented via Twitter about two hours after the shooting:
My thoughts & prayers are with the Sandy Hook Elementary & #Newtown community on this tragic day. Hoping for safety of students & teachers14 Dec 12
White House: today is not the day for gun-control debates
White House press secretary Jay Carney says President Obama has been briefed on the shooting, but that today is not the day to discuss policy. The following report comes from Washington Post reporter Philip Rucker:
At the White House, President Obama was briefed on the shooting at 10:30 a.m. Friday by John Brennan, his homeland security adviser. White House press secretary Jay Carney could not confirm any details of the shooting, but said the FBI is supporting state and local law enforcement authorities as they respond to and investigate the incident.
“The president will receive regular updates as the day progresses,” Carney said.
Carney would not characterize Obama’s reaction to the news. But Carney noted that the president sees such news as a father of two daughters — “to feel enormous sympathy for families that are affected and to do everything we can to support state and local law enforcement, to support those who are enduring what appears to be a very tragic event.”
“I’m sure [there] will be rather a day for discussion of the usual Washington policy debates, but I don’t think today is that day,” Carney said.
AP report: 27 dead, including 18 children
The Associated Press is reporting that 27 people are dead, including 18 children. The report cites an official with knowledge of the situation, who is speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way.
The worst shootings in U.S. history
If it’s true that 27 people have been killed in today’s shooting, that would make it among the most deadly mass shootings in U.S. history.
We put together a grim ranking in the wake of this summer’s mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.
Report: 100 rounds fired, “many” in kindergarten classroom
A mother who said she was in the school when the shooting occurred told CNN that she heard “at least 100 rounds” being fired during the attack; previous reports from witnesses at the school reported fewer shots.
The Hartford Courant is also reporting that “many of the shootings took place in a kindergarten classroom.” One class is still unaccounted for outside the school.
Report: School principal and psychologist dead
CNN is reporting that the Sandy Hook school principal and psychologist are dead, or at least injured, and that the school’s vice principal was shot in the foot. A parent on the scene told CNN that she saw the bodies of the dead lying “in pools of blood” in the hallway.
Principal and school psychologist were killed in shooting, according to a parent: on.cnn.com/WbG4H9 Details on @CNN TV.14 Dec 12
Photos from the school evacuation
This photo comes from a reporter at the Hartford-Courant:
Connecticut State Police lead children from the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., following a reported shooting there Friday morning. (AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks)
There are similar photos from Instagram users at the scene.The scene walking towards school. #schoolshooting pic.twitter.com/OD9EM3oa
Connecticut responds to Newtown shooting
Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy is mobilizing several state departments to respond to the Newtown shooting, according to his Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Resources from the Department of Public Health, the Department of Children and Families, the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and the State Department of Education are deploying to the school to coordinate an emergency response.
The governor himself is also en route to Newtown.
What we know about the Newtown elementary school shooting
A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school this morning left at least one teacher and a gunman dead, the Associated Press reports. Rumors are also flying on Twitter about other possible victims.
Here’s what we know right now, from AP:
- The shooting took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School school in Newtown, Conn., a town 60 miles northeast of New York City.
- School officials called police at 9:40 a.m.
- The shooter reportedly had two guns and was killed. It is not yet known if the shooter acted alone.
- A teacher was shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital; it is unclear if there are other injuries.
- All schools in Newton and many in neighboring towns are on lockdown.
Sandy Hook’s security procedures
Earlier this year, Sandy Hook Elementary sent this letter to parents detailing the school’s security procedures.
Doors will be locked at approximately 9:30 a.m. Any student arriving after that time must be walked into the building and signed in at the office.Newtown Shooting: Sandy Hook Elementary school's security procedures
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