Elementary school shooting in Connecticut

[CPDEMT]

http://news.msn.com/us/at-least-27-d...mentary-school

NEWTOWN, Conn. — At least 27 people were killed, including an unconfirmed number of children, in a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., on Friday, according to reports from Reuters and The Associated Press. If confirmed, it would be one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. It comes after a series of shooting rampages in the United States this year that have killed multiple victims.

The suspected shooter, the father of a student there, was also killed, CBS News reported. The principal and school psychologist were among the dead, CNN said.

An official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still under way told the Associated Press the gunman apparently had two guns. The school district remains on lockdown as police investigate the shootings. There are unconfirmed reports of two shooters, according to a local newspaper.

President Barack Obama has been notified about the shooting and will receive regular updates throughout the day, White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Friday.

Carney called the event "tragic" and said there would be time later for a discussion of policy implications.

Obama remains committed to trying to renew a ban on assault weapons, Carney said.

LIVE: Updates from the shooting site

Some students were reportedly being treated for trauma. A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher has been shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital. Dr. Patrick Broderick said the hospital had treated only three patients from the shooting scene. The hospital is on lockdown to protect the privacy of victims and to allow staff to do their work unreported.

The school superintendent's office says the district has locked down schools as a preventive measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.

State police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance says they have a number of personnel on the scene to assist.

The Courant reported that police said a shooter was in the main office of the school shortly after 9:40 a.m.

Groups of students — some crying, some holding hands — were being escorted away from the school by their teachers, the Courant reported.

A staging area has been set up for students and their parents near the school.

Related: Tips for talking to kids about scary news

The district is made up of four elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Newtown is in northern Fairfield County, about 45 miles southwest of Hartford and 80 miles northeast of New York City.

What a horrible thing to happen. My friend grew up in this town and went to this elementary school before moving here to California. My thoughts are with each and every family affected.

[mookster]

There's a punishing spot in hell for that scumbag. Prayers are with the victims and emergency personnel who responded.

[BigMyk]

My prayers for the victims and responders.

Of course here we go again with the people wanting to turn 1 act of madness into politics.

[stpdpny]

Another article says the shooter opened up on a kindergarten classroom. A kindergarten classroom?!?! Those poor poor innocent children. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the children, all of the families, and the first responders. I'm at a loss.

[jannino]

My wife is not an emotional person.. especially not over news, but hearing this brought her to tears. This is so tragic.

[Lionheart]

Words can't express how horrible this is. I used to drive through this town almost every weekend on my way to and from college. It was always such a beautiful town...

[GangGreen712]

I first saw this on Channel 3 this morning and they just said that someone got shot in the foot. About two hours later, 27 people are dead including the suspect so far.

Suspect, they are saying as of now, used two handguns, was between 18 and 20 years old, and possibly was from New Jersey. As of now, they don't know exactly what his connection to the school was.

[headonstraight]

Time to stock up on ammo before they try to regulate it and make it harder to get.

[Gear Monkey]

Suspect, they are saying as of now, used two handguns, was between 18 and 20 years old, and possibly was from New Jersey. As of now, they don't know exactly what his connection to the school was.

Just heard he was 24 and his son went to the school.

Sad.

[just joe]

My wife is not an emotional person.. especially not over news, but hearing this brought her to tears. This is so tragic.

It did mine as well.

[Raiden]

I'll never understand this non-sense, may be it is best not to understand it.

I am at loss for words; I just don't get it.

[QuietPro]

God help this country; it's like we're racing headlong into utter madness more and more with each passing year......

[BigMyk]

I'll never understand this non-sense, may be it is best not to understand it.

I am at loss for words; I just don't get it.

Evil is hard to understand, hell there may be nothing to understand.

As long as there have been humans there has been this ind of madness, it's not new, like for instance the Bath School Disaster.

[Ignite]

No words...

[ftttu]

God help this country; it's like we're racing headlong into utter madness more and more with each passing year......

With you on that 100%. What makes humans different from animals is that we have the capacity for morals. This act was an act of an animal!!! Prayers to that community.

[adeutch]

Evil is hard to understand, hell there may be nothing to understand.

As long as there have been humans there has been this ind of madness, it's not new, like for instance the Bath School Disaster.

You're absolutely right. Sadly, this kind of thing has been going on for centuries. We just didn't hear about it as quickly because of no t.v./internet. And if you read about the Bath School, you'll see gun restrictions are not the solution. In the past couple of years in China they've had mass stabbings and even mass hammer attacks in schools http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_...%E2%80%932011).

Nonetheless, seeing this headline felt like a punch in the gut.

[Carbonfiberfoot]

Why don't these people (and I use that term loosely) just go off into the woods and kill themselves...

"CBS News reports the gunman was the son of a female teacher at the school who was killed in the mass shooting. CBS News’ John Miller additionally reports the gunman is 20 years old and is from New Jersey. CBS News previously reported that preliminary information showed that the gunman might have been the father of a student."

He apparently killed his father before heading to the school.

[GangGreen712]

Been doing some research on this. So far, this is what I've got (subject to change as more facts come in) from both personal sources and things I've collected from the news:

He is 20 years old and originally from Newtown but his Facebook lists him as living in Hoboken, NJ, apparently with or near his father. His mother was a teacher at the school. He allegedly killed his father and mother either last night or early this morning before driving to Newtown. The guns he used were two 9mms, a Glock and a Sig Sauer. Apparently he had a .223 rifle (I'm guessing an AR or Mini-14...probably an AR) but it didn't say if he used it or not.

There's possibly another guy connected as someone in camo hiding in the woods near the scene was taken into custody, but the extent of his involvement, if any, is currently not released.

[BigMyk]

You're absolutely right. Sadly, this kind of thing has been going on for centuries. We just didn't hear about it as quickly because of no t.v./internet. And if you read about the Bath School, you'll see gun restrictions are not the solution. In the past couple of years in China they've had mass stabbings and even mass hammer attacks in schools http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_...%E2%80%932011).



Nonetheless, seeing this headline felt like a punch in the gut.

Me too.

Didn't know about the attacks in China, thanks for posting that. I 1st thing I hate about these events is the loss of innocent life, the 2nd thing is how stupid people get afterwards especialy if it has something to do with guns.

[BigMyk]

Why don't these people (and I use that term loosely) just go off into the woods and kill themselves...

"CBS News reports the gunman was the son of a female teacher at the school who was killed in the mass shooting. CBS News’ John Miller additionally reports the gunman is 20 years old and is from New Jersey. CBS News previously reported that preliminary information showed that the gunman might have been the father of a student."

Most truly suicidal people do exactly that, quietly kill themselves. These nutjobs are a different category, they want to go out with a splash.

[JasperST]

I just heard the news, what's going on in this country? Things like this may have happened before but not nearly in this kind of frequency. Something is going horribly wrong.

[stpdpny]

I feel as if spreading/speaking his name is only getting him notoriety, even in death. Refer to him as any name you'd like to call him, POS, shooter, suspect, #$#%er, etc., but the media should leave out his name. Didn't that Dark Knight shooter say he did it for notoriety? The media should make it clear that this kind of action does not get you fame. Otherwise, it seems we only breed more violence.

[Marine0083]

Just saw the press conference put on by Barry. The wiping away of imaginary tears was classic.

More gun control is coming.

[BigMyk]

I just heard the news, what's going on in this country? Things like this may have happened before but not nearly in this kind of frequency. Something is going horribly wrong.

Not really true, just televised more. Events that happened in the past happened in times when there were fewer people (the were almost 150 MILLION fewer Americans back with the Bath School disaster occurred). Per capita America (including American schools) are safer then they have been in a long time, we're just more connected by media now.

[LINY]

He also killed his brother in NJ before he did the shooting.