Unidentified people react to the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. (credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)
NEWTOWN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) – A heartbreaking and unforgettable tragedy beset the town of Newtown, Connecticut, where 28 people, including 20 children, were killed Friday morning at an elementary school.
“Evil visited this community today and it’s too early to speak of recovery,” Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy said. “Each parent, each sibling, each member of the family has to understand Connecticut — we’re all in this together.”
While the families of victims have been notified, authorities are still in the process of positively identifying those killed.
While officials have been briefing the public on the situation throughout the day, local officials are still looking at various angles as they continue their “massive investigation” in coordination with the FBI and ATF.
While authorities have still not officially identified the gunman who opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School, law enforcement sources have named him as 20-year-old Adam Lanza.
Lanza’s mother, Nancy Lanza — who worked at the school — was found dead at her Newtown home, CBS News reported. After Lanza allegedly shot and killed his mother, he drove her car to the school, where he opened fire on adults and children, 1010 WINS’ Al Jones reported.
Vance said 18 children and 6 adults, including the school’s principal Dawn Hochsprung, were pronounced dead at that scene. Two other children later died at the hospital. One other person was injured, Vance said.
1010 WINS’ Al Jones With More From Authorities
Lanza was found dead inside the building from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources told CBS 2.
Authorities found three guns at the scene, including a Glock 9mm and a Sig Sauer 9mm — both pistols. Also found was a Bushmaster .223 assault rifle, which was discovered in car.
A federal official also told CBS News Friday evening that all three weapons recovered in the shooting were, according to state records, bought legally and registered to the the gunman’s mother.
Police are still looking at various aspects of the situation, but do not yet have a motive.
“An investigation like this is like a puzzle. We want to put this puzzle together and form a complete picture, so that everyone — without any doubt whatsoever — can truly understand what occurred,” State Police Lt. Paul Vance said Friday evening.
Authorities said there is one survivor, teacher Nancy Hammond, who will be helpful to the investigation.
GUNMAN’S BROTHER QUESTIONED
Law enforcement sources had earlier told CBS News that the gunman was 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, the gunman’s older brother. However, Ryan Lanza was not charged with anything and was only questioned by police.
Police took the shooter’s brother out of a squad car in handcuffs and brought him back into his Hoboken, New Jersey apartment. On the day he lost both his brother and mother, he was taken away by authorities along with his roommates.
“Those roommates were located. They’re in our custody so that we can talk to them, ease some of the pain that they have,” said Hoboken Police Capt. James Fitzsimmons.
1010 WINS’ Gary Baumgarten Reports From Hoboken
Ryan Lanza has reportedly been cooperative with police and told law enforcement officials that he believed his brother suffered from a personality disorder and was “somewhat autistic,” according an Associated Press report.
Ryan Lanza is detained by authorities in Hoboken on Dec. 13, 2012, the day his brother Adam Lanza, 20, is believed to have committed the second worst school shooting in U.S. history in Newtown, Conn. (credit: CBS 2)
Reporter Gary Baumgarten of 1010 WINS reported the FBI left Ryan Lanza’s apartment with a desktop computer.
CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey reported that Ryan Lanza apparently did not have contact with his younger brother for the past couple of years. Ryan Lanza’s neighbors were stunned at the family connection to the deaths in Connecticut.
“You don’t think it’s going to happen anywhere near you, but it does,” said neighbor Michael Chipchase. “It brings it home.”
“This is something I never expected,” said neighbor Yayoi Sawaba.
WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE THE SCHOOL?
Gunfire erupted inside the school around 9:40 a.m. Parents said they received an automatic message that there had been a shooting incident in the district and that schools were being placed on lockdown.
An 8-year-old student said he was on his way to the school’s office when he saw the gunman.
State police personnel led children from the school, following the shooting. (credit: Newtown Bee Photo, Shannon Hicks)
“I saw some of the bullets going down the hall and then a teacher pulled me into her classroom,” the boy told CBS 2′s Lou Young.
Lt. Vance said several agencies, including local and state police, responded to the scene and immediately began a search of the building.
“The entire school was searched and a staging area was set up,” he said.
WCBS 880′s Sean Adams reports: Students Showed Great Poise
Students and staff were then evacuated from the school. As they were walking out of the building, some of the children were told to close their eyes and walk fast, WCBS 880′s Sean Adams reported.
“We had to climb into the closets and we heard a lot more gunshots and the ambulance came, but then the policeman directed us to run out of the building go to the Fire Department,”one student told 1010 WINS’ Al Jones.
Students were then taken to a nearby firehouse to be reunited with their parents. Schools in surrounding areas were also placed on lockdown.
Danbury Hospital spokesperson Diane Burke told CBS 2 that the hospital was also put on lockdown as a precautionary measure.
Lisa Bailey, a Newtown resident with three children in Newtown schools, told CBSNewYork.com, “Newtown is a quiet town. I’d never expect this to happen here. It’s so scary. Your kids are not safe anywhere.”
The school district had recently installed new safety protocols. In a letter to parents, strict guidelines were outlined for the district’s four elementary schools.
PRESIDENT OBAMA, GOV. MALLOY REACT
An emotional President Barack Obama spoke about the massacre at the White House Friday. Fighting back tears, he said he reacted to the news not just as the president, but as a parent.
“The majority of those who died today are children. Beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10-years-old,” he said. “They had their entire lives ahead of them. Birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own.”
At times, Obama wiped away tears from the corner of his eyes, adding ”Our hearts are broken.”
“As a country, we have been through this too many times,” he said. “These children are our children and we are going to come together to take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this regardless of the politics.”
The president ordered that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff through Tuesday. Gov. Malloy has also ordered all U.S. and state flags be flown at half-staff.
Malloy’s office said several state agencies are working together to coordinate the state’s response. Speaking a news conference, Malloy called the shooting “a tragedy of unspeakable terms.”
Stay with CBSNewYork.com as this story continues to develop…
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/14/police-respond-to-report-of-school-shooting-in-conn/
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