Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (December 2012) |
| Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting | |
|---|---|
| Location | Newtown, Connecticut, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°25′12″N 73°16′43″W / 41.42000°N 73.27861°W |
| Date | December 14, 2012 9:41 am - GMT-5 |
| Target | Children and school personnel |
Attack type | Mass murder, school shooting |
| Weapons | Multiple 9-mm handguns and a .223-caliber rifle[1] |
| Deaths | 27 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 1 |
On December 14, 2012, at least 27 people, including 20 children, were killed[2] in a school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Sandy Hook village, Newtown, Connecticut. Three others injured were transported to hospitals in critical condition.[3] This was the second-deadliest US civilian shooting, after Virginia Tech in 2007, which had a death toll of 32.[4]
Shooting
The gunman wore black combat garb and a military vest. Gunshots and screams had been heard over the school public address system. The elementary school has close to 700 students.[1]
Authorities recovered a Glock and SIG Sauer 9 mm handgun, but it was unclear who killed the shooter,[1] with sources[3] reporting suicide.
The classroom where the shooter's mother worked as a kindergarten teacher was the scene of the majority of the casualties.[5]
Suspect
The perpetrator's name was initially identified as 24-year old Ryan J. Lanza from Hoboken, New Jersey,[1][6][7] was confirmed dead by police.[8] His mother, Nancy Lanza, a teacher at the school, was one of the victims,[8][9][10] and was his first victim.[3]
A second man was questioned by investigators. His younger brother, Adam, age 20, has been taken for questioning, and by 3:35pm some news sources were reporting Adam was the actual shooter.[6][11]
Reactions
According to the White House spokesman Jay Carney, Barack Obama expressed "enormous sympathy for families that are affected".[4] President Obama gave a televised address at approximately 3:17 p.m. ET the same day. He ordered flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House in respect for the victims.[12]
Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York used the incident as an opportunity to call for more talk about stricter gun laws, saying "We cannot simply accept this as a routine product of modern American life," he said. "If now is not the time to have a serious discussion about gun control and the epidemic of gun violence plaguing our society, I don't know when is." Nadler also stated: "I am challenging President Obama, the Congress and the American public to act on our outrage and, finally, do something about this."[13]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "At least 26 dead in shooting at Connecticut elementary school". Fox News. December 14, 2012.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
skywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b c "27 Killed in Connecticut Shooting, Including 18 Children". New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
- ^ a b "Official with knowledge of Conn. school shooting: 27 dead, including 18 children". Washington Post. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ "Elementary School Massacre". USNews on MSNBC news. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ a b Children and adults gunned down in Connecticut school massacre – This Just In - CNN.com Blogs
- ^ Gary Stoller and Gary Strauss (14 December 2012). "26 reported killed in Newtown, Conn., school shooting". USA Today. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ a b Pete Williams; Miguel Llanos; Tracy Connor (14 December 2012). "Elementary school massacre: 26 dead, including 18 kids, in Connecticut". NBC. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ "Reports: Gunman had connection to Newtown, school". WRAL.com. 2012-11-14. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
- ^ Abby Rogers (14 December 2012). "Shooting At Connecticut School". Business Insider. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
- ^ Christoffersen, John (December 14, 2012). "Up to 27 people dead at Connecticut school shooting". Globe and Mail. Newtown, Conn. Reuters. Retrieved December 14, 2012 20:31 GMT.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ "Presidential Proclamation -- Honoring the Victims of the Shooting in Newtown, Connecticut". White House Press Office. 2012-12-14. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
- ^ Davis, Susan. "Congress reacts to Connecticut school shooting". USA Today. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
External links
