At Least 26 Dead in Shooting at Connecticut Elementary School

[Bonnie]

At Least 26 Dead in Shooting at Connecticut Elementary School

Published December 14, 2012
FoxNews.com

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/14...entary-school/

DEVELOPING: Authorities say at least 26 people, including 18 children, were killed Friday when a gunman clad in black military gear opened fire inside a Connecticut elementary school.

A law enforcement official said the shooter, who is dead, was from New Jersey and had ties to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Authorities recovered a Glock and Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, but it was unclear who killed the shooter, who wore black combat garb and a military vest.

Local news outlets report that the shooting occurred inside a kindergarten classroom, and that all the pupils in that classroom are unaccounted for.

An official with knowledge of the situation said the 20-year-old gunman, whose name has not been released, also had a .223-caliber rifle. The motive is not yet known.

Police are also questioning another man in connection with the shooting. Witnesses told the Connecticut Post that a handcuffed man, dressed in camouflage, was led out of a nearby woods by officers.

Shortly after 9:40 a.m., authorities reported that a shooter was in the main office of the school. A person in one room had "numerous gunshot wounds," police told the Hartford Courant.

A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher was shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital. Local news outlets also reported that the principal was among those shot.

Parent Lisa Procaccini told Fox News that her daughter was sitting in a classroom when she and others heard gun shots.

"She was in a small class -- a reading group and they started hearing bangs," Procaccini said. "Her teacher, and I’m grateful for this, rushed kids into the bathroom and locked the door. They told kids it was hammering and tried to keep them calm.”

"Children were crying," Procaccini said. "She did tell me about a little boy that was in a police officer’s arms, bleeding. I don’t know if she gets it."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said two firearms were recovered from the scene.

President Obama was notified of the shooting around 10:30 am ET, White House officials said.

The Newtown School District has locked down schools as a preventive measure to ensure the safety of students and staff.

A statement on the district's website stated that afternoon kindergarten classes have been canceled.

The elementary school has close to 700 students.

Newtown is in Fairfield County, about 45 miles southwest of Hartford and 60 miles northeast of New York City.

[rearnakedchoke]

sad ...

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by rearnakedchoke

sad ...

Heartbreaking!

[County Mike]

Sick people in this world.

I propose teaching all teachers about gun safety and how to shoot. Then, every classroom should have a loaded shotgun in a locked cabinet. Each teacher would have the responsibility of defending their students.

Maybe the knowledge of armed teachers would be enough to keep these a-holes out of the schools in the first place.

[Bonnie]

Originally Posted by County Mike

Sick people in this world.

I propose teaching all teachers about gun safety and how to shoot. Then, every classroom should have a loaded shotgun in a locked cabinet. Each teacher would have the responsibility of defending their students.

Maybe the knowledge of armed teachers would be enough to keep these a-holes out of the schools in the first place.

That wouldn't necessarily help if the "crazy" is a student (or teacher) in the school, who would then have access to that weapon. If they know it's there, believe me, they'll find a way to get ahold of it. Not to mention, if it's known publicly that there are loaded weapons to be had there, those that would try to steal them. I don't think there's any way to be totally prepared for people who are angry and decide others are going to pay.

They reported that this school was normally locked down at 9:30, and anyone wanting to get in after that time had to identify themselves before being admitted. The shooter's mother worked there as a teacher so he might have been well known there and easily admitted, or maybe he went in before. They reported that his mother was found dead at her home there in Newtown, CT. I think her classroom was one of the rooms he went into where he shot and killed the children. He was obviously one messed up human being!

[MattHughesRocks]

I don't even know what to say

[Bonnie]

Just to update, two children were brought to the hospital but were pronounced dead, so that's 20 children who died and six adults, not counting the shooter and his mom.

One little six-year old saw the shooter shoot his teacher; he and two other children managed to run out the door all the way to the main road where a passerby picked them up and took them to the police station. He described to the police what he saw--he said he saw all these silver bullets (I guess casings) on the floor of the classroom, and when they ran out into the hall he saw more silver bullets on the floor, but they were red.

[Neezar]

I was heartbroken yesterday. I couldn't help thinking of the parents. You never dream you will send your child to school only to be executed. When I got home last night and saw this picture......well, I wasn't able to go to sleep for many hours.

[Neezar]

Originally Posted by County Mike

Sick people in this world.

I propose teaching all teachers about gun safety and how to shoot. Then, every classroom should have a loaded shotgun in a locked cabinet. Each teacher would have the responsibility of defending their students.

Maybe the knowledge of armed teachers would be enough to keep these a-holes out of the schools in the first place.

I would like to know how he got into the school. I am a substitute nurse at the schools, have been for 3 years. I was issued a badge. A badge swipe opens the doors to the school. However, a sub's badge doesn't. I have to go to the main office and sign in like a visitor. They all know me. They all know why I am there. But I still have to state my business, sign in, and be buzzed in. One school even commented once that they appreciated me not getting impatient with this. So some must complain. I told them that I felt better about it knowing they always followed policy on this! I think this is the first and best line of defense.

Even though this boy was family to one of the teachers he should not have been allowed in. Teachers don't need visitors at the school.

Maybe he stole his mom's badge. I hope so! I wouldn't want to be the one that allowed him in.

[NateR]

Originally Posted by County Mike

Sick people in this world.

I propose teaching all teachers about gun safety and how to shoot. Then, every classroom should have a loaded shotgun in a locked cabinet. Each teacher would have the responsibility of defending their students.

Maybe the knowledge of armed teachers would be enough to keep these a-holes out of the schools in the first place.

I totally agree with that idea and I think simply the knowledge that the guns are there and that the faculty is trained to use them, would deter a large percentage of these shooters.

Kind of like that shooting in the movie theater during the Dark Knight Rises premiere. If just one of the theater patrons had been carrying a concealed weapon, then they could have stopped that shooter before the death toll rose as high as it did.

Of course, no security measure is going to stop 100% of threats, that's why you need overlapping security measures. Plus, I think the "if the guns are there then the crazy are going to get ahold of them!" argument is just nonsense. I'd like to see some statistics on how often these "crazy people" have been able to disarm police officers and use their own weapons against them. If the teachers are trained to use the firearms by the police, then you would almost totally eliminate that possibility.