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Subscribe to RSSConnecticut state police hold a news conference to update the investigation into Friday's deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
UPDATED 3:21 p.m. ET: Newtown massacre gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School, where his youngest victims were shot at close range, law enforcement officials told NBC News.
The chilling details emerged as authorities prepared to release the names of the 20 children and six adults slaughtered Friday at the Connecticut school.
A team from the Medical Examiner’s office worked all night to identify the bodies, which were removed by Saturday morning, while officials notified parents. It could take at least two more days for investigators to finish combing over the crime scene.
“We’ve been doing everything we need to do to peel back the onion, layer by layer, and get more information,” Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said.
"Our investigators at the crime scene ... did produce some very good evidence in this investigation that our investigators will be able to use in, hopefully, painting the complete picture as to how - and more importantly why - this occurred.”
Police have already determined that gunman Adam Lanza, 20, was not buzzed into Sandy Hook, where he was once a student.
“He forced his way into the school,” Vance said. He did not provide specifics and said that broken windows at the school may have been shattered by police who responded to the emergency.
Several officials told NBC News that once Lanza was inside, he shot the 20 children at close range, then killed himself. His mother, Nancy Lanza, was found shot to death at her home in Newtown.
Law enforcement officials gave out conflicting details about what type of weapons Lanza had.
At one point, they told NBC News Lanza had four handguns while he stalked the halls of Sandy Hook, but that could not be confirmed. It appears he carried at least two 9mm handguns – and a rifle was also found at the scene.
NBC's Pete Williams reports that Connecticut school shooter Adam Lanza attempted to purchase a rifle earlier this week at a sporting goods store in Danbury, Conn.
Officials also told NBC News that Lanza unsuccessfully tried to buy a rifle at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store in Danbury three days before the slaughter, but later said they could not confirm the report, which was based on information from members of the public.
At a Saturday briefing, Connecticut State Police Lt. Paul Vance said officials were tracing every weapon connected to the shooter.
The motive for the mass killing was unknown, but officials told NBC's Pete Williams that they were investigating a report that someone had an "altercation" with four staff members at the school on Thursday – three of whom were killed the next day.
Of the many questions surrounding the tragedy, none was more poignant than those posed by the parents of the dead children, who shared their worst fears about their children’s final moments with clergy consoling them.
“They were wondering whether the children knew what was happening to them, whether they were afraid,” said Monsignor Robert Weiss of St. Rose of Lima Church, who met with the families overnight at a firehouse while workers from the medical examiner's office identified the bodies.
A state trooper has been assigned to the family of each victim so they can grieve in private, Vance said. “This is an extremely heart-breaking, difficult thing,” he said.
Police provided little information about the shooter’s state of mind. Lanza’s brother told police the gunman had a history of mental problems, though a classmate from Newtown High School recalled him as a generally happy person.
“We would hang out, and he was a good kid,” Joshua Milas, who had not seen Lanza in a few years, told The Associated Press. “He was probably one of the smartest kids I know. He was probably a genius.”
Lanza’s connection to the school was unclear. Law enforcement officials initially said his mother was a kindergarten teacher there, but the school superintendent told TODAY that she wasn’t a full-time staffer and may not have any connection to the school.
Police said their investigation into Lanza and how he carried out the horrendous crime was still in the early stages.
“We have a mountain of evidence, both physical and forensic,” Newtown Police Lt. George Sinko said. “Obviously we’re not going to leave any stone unturned.”
He said the entire town of 27,000 – a sleepy bedroom community some 60 miles from New York City and known for its good schools – was reeling.
“We never thought this would happen here,” Sinko said. “Our hearts are broken for the families of these victims.”
Even the young survivors -- ages 5 to 10 -- will be scarred. They spoke of huddling in corners of locked classrooms and closets with heroic teachers while shots rang out around them.
Sandy Hook Elementary principal Dawn Hochsprung died in the attack after reportedly running toward the gunfire to protect her students. TODAY's Erica Hill reports, and Savannah Guthrie talks with two men who knew her.
Robert Licata said his 6-year-old son was in class when the gunman burst in and shot the teacher.
"That's when my son grabbed a bunch of his friends and ran out the door," he told The Associated Press. "He was very brave."
The school superintendent, Dr. Janet Robinson, said the body count would have been even higher if not for staff who rushed to protect their young charges. All of the dead were found in two rooms.
“A lot of children are alive today because of actions the teachers took,” she said.
The high death toll and the tender age of the victims sent shock waves across the nation and all the way to the White House, where the flag was lowered to half-staff.
President Obama, his voice cracking at times, said he reacted to the tragedy first as a parent.
“Our hearts are broken today,'' he said in a news conference Friday. “The majority of those who died today were children. Beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old.”
Related content from NBCNews.com:
- Elementary school massacre: 28 killed, including 20 kids
- Quiet town wonders, 'How can we be protected'?
- Vigils, services honor school shooting victims
- Video: 'Our hearts are broken,' Obama says
- Gunman's mother owned weapons used in massacre
- 'Screams were coming over the intercom'
- Traumatized nation reels from 'day of sadness and grief'
- Video: School shooting reignites gun control debate
- How to talk to kids about the school shooting
- Massacre leaves America shocked and grieving ... again
- Connecticut school shooting is second worst in US history
- Authorities ID gunman who killed 27 in elementary school massacre
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Michelle Mcloughlin / Reuters
The second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history sent crying children spilling into the school parking lot as frightened parents waited for word on their loved ones.
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The irony that a family member killed the "legal" gun owner with the guns quite probably purchased to "keep her family safer" is incredible.
Not incredible at all. In fact, it's a pattern that's repeated over and over again, ad nauseam.
To me, the real irony is that people are far more likely to be killed with guns who own them to protect themselves than those who don't own them at all.
Thoroughly discredited theory Timmy.
I thoroughly discredit Rex's discrediting. Now who is right? My gut feeling is that you are indeed more likely to die from your own gun than you are to protect yourself from it. Add in the chance of your gun being stolen and used in a crime, your kids getting injured or dead, the chance that your personality and behaviors will be altered by owning a gun, or worse the lifetime of guilt and remorse when you kill someone even if it was within your rights, and I don't think it's worth it. But I also don't think it's worth it to allow the government to interfere with religion, even though I am a Christian, and I don't want the government banning guns. I think assault weapons should be banned but whatever.
Here's some perspective: Each year about 200 kids die through gun accidents and another ~200 kids die from guns not counting teenagers and suicides (like their dad was drunk and shot them - not an accident, but death is linked to the gun). About 2000 die in car accidents for comparison. Now pretty much every single kid in America is around cars, but maybe 1 in 5 is around a gun regularly so the stats even out a bit - cars are maybe equally likely to kill kids as guns are - again I left out suicides and teens. There are way more suicides by guns than accidents but you figure many of them would have found another way. Maybe.
Here is how I look at it. I don't own a gun, I have kids. If I buy a gun, I have increased the chance that my kids will be killed or seriously injured - about equivalent to not buckling them in their car seat. I have however decreased the chance that someone can successfully break into our house to kill my kids. Note that the gun doesn't actually prevent the break-in. I could care less if someone wants to steal my stereo - even I had a gun, I don't think I 'd use it to prevent a robbery. What am I going to do, kill someone over my stereo? Pfff. They can have it. I'll make them coffee if they're not in too much of a hurry.
To me - the scenario is very very real that my kids find the gun, play with it and kill themselves. It's real because when I was a kid, my friend found my dad's gun, played with it, and discharged it. No one was injured. Then another friend put his dad's 45 handgun to my head and said, "bang your dead". I knocked the gun away and that's when we found out it was loaded with the safety off. No one was injured.
The scenario where someone tries to kill my kids and my gun stops them is pure fantasy.
America is a true paradox as a country. Persistently postering itself as the standardbearer of the "civilized" world though where a deafening background noise of violence goes unheard and is virtually absent from public discourse. Pathetically, such incidents are systematically followed by short periods of introspection and partisan debate inevitably ending with the status quo. At the same time the short-lived media attention that always follows obscures this background noise of violence that is a cornerstone of American culture and our true values and identity as a nation. And so while these tragic 26 deaths will receive much attention in the days to come, the 15,000 gun deaths in this same year will go unnoticed. These latter deaths and violence are part of our "normal" as a society. And as long as such violence is considered "normal", America has no entitlement to any claim as a "civilized" nation, no right to pontificate moral behavior to other nations, lecture peoples about other forms of violence and atrocities. These 15,000 deaths a year are more than enough proof that by any standard America remains its own worst enemy. We may pretend to be shocked by the violence and barbarity of the Taliban but the violence we inflict on our ourselves as a nation goes unnoticed and unchallenged with no true public debate.
When will you people learn that guns are tools? People are the ones that start this. It's their choice to pick up a gun and decide to do something crazy. This young man was definitely disturbed. Why didn't someone see that and do something about it. But no. No one wants to get involved. So the kid picks up tools (guns), blows his mother away in their home, and then goes to "her?" school and blows other people away with the tools. It doesn't matter why the mother felt she had to buy guns. I'm sure she had her reasons, and it's really none of anyone's business why she had them. I have guns. I live in the wilderness with grizzly bear and black bear that come up on my deck. That's OK. Should they try to come in a door, that's another situation. I live alone. If you think I'm going to let some dude or a bear come in my door uninvited, you have another think coming. I have a 444 rifle, and a 347 handgun. A pop gun or slingshot is not enough protection. But that's another situation altogether. Anyway my heart goes out to all the mothers and fathers who are now without their precious children due to this nutcase using tools. Thank goodness he commited suicide, saved some poor policeman being suspended for killing him. I'm sorry for the brother, and the rest of the nut's family. But they should have gotten him help before this all happened. But remember it's NOT the NRA - of which I am not a member - and it's not the guns. It's the person who picks the guns up to make a choice. Good or bad, it is that person's choice. So stop trying to take away people guns from them, or blame the NRA.
Yes, they are tools. They're designed for a single purpose: killing. I guess we don't have enough killing, so we need more of these tools.
Ok, fine. It's all semantics, but then let's regulate gun ownership. No problem. Because we don't now.
For CrimsonCujo to have no emotion toward this event, he/she does appear to be unstable... to then place those feelings out into the ears/eyes of the public on a blog ... seems like they are reaching out for help. I hope you get some help before whatever your mind is thinking , takes you to some dark place and do yourself or others harm. You really need to talk to a professional.
Sorry, I should have said 357 handgun......clarifying my error.
America is a true paradox as a country. Persistently postering itself as the standardbearer of the "civilized" world though where a deafening background noise of violence goes unheard and is virtually absent from public discourse. Pathetically, such incidents are systematically followed by short periods of introspection and partisan debate inevitably ending with the status quo. At the same time the short-lived media attention that always follows obscures this background noise of violence that is a cornerstone of American culture and our true values and identity as a nation. And so while these tragic 26 deaths will receive much attention in the days to come, the 15,000 gun deaths in this same year will go unnoticed. These latter deaths and violence are part of our "normal" as a society. And as long as such violence is considered "normal", America has no entitlement to any claim as a "civilized" nation, no right to pontificate moral behavior to other nations, lecture peoples about other forms of violence and atrocities. These 15,000 deaths a year are more than enough proof that by any standard America remains its own worst enemy. We may pretend to be shocked by the violence and barbarity of the Taliban but the violence we inflict on our ourselves as a nation goes unnoticed and unchallenged with no true public debate.
2 ironies concerning this story.
1) The gun clutchers will now say Obama is going to use this tragedy to take away their guns and actually go out and buy more.
2) The mother/teacher probably purchased the firearms to keep her family safer and ended up ADDING to the statistical probability that guns in the house are more likely to be used intentionally or accidently on another family member as opposed to an assailant.
This kind of nationalization and sensationalization of a local tragedy by the media is exactly how you create the next copycat killer, according to forensic psychologists.
MSNBC, Ii thought you were a superior news network. I changed my mind after seeing you try to cash in on the horror felt by the victims' families in this tragedy. Why do you feel it it necessary to display the faces of these people in their grief? Their horror and pain is not intended for public viewing. Sham on you.
When as a culture you teach children to SIMULATE murder and de-emphasize morality, don't be surprised when they become monsters.
Exhibit A: . om/watch?v=WSUe0Uzo7nA
Exhibit B: . com/watch?v=lULODqhqsJ0
(repair ".com" in address)
Hope you're real happy NRA. You've done it again. Keep those semi-automatic guns legal, and we'll continue to see events like this. You've done yourself proud.
put the pipe down....
The NRA: Proudly Enabling Domestic Terrorists Since 1871!
They were't semiautomatics
For all those people who want to do away with teachers' unions, let me suggest you look at the actions of these teachers. Instead of trying to save themselves, they sheltered their students, even reading to them with the doors locked to try to comfort them.
This isn't the first time teachers have acted like heroes in the face of life-threatening situations. Yet people say they are paid too much, that their pension system should be demolished, that there are too many that don't meet some sort of standard.
Unions are like any organization and contain flaws because they are designed and run by humans. Yeah, there are some pretty crappy teachers. There are also crappy professionals in any field. However, I want the wounded to have benefits, I want survivors of this massacre to have benefits, and I think anyone who has a child in a public school should be thankful that adults who care more about the children than their own safety are willing to protect their kid. If making sure such people have some peace of mind about their retirement is the price to pay, then I think it's pretty cheap. If we make teaching so uninviting that no one worthwhile wants to do it, what kind of people are going to be in the classroom when something like this happens again?
WTF?????????????? Union teachers now? huh? What? so if they are non-union they woulda did what?
Push them on the ground while runnin away?
I need a smoke now!
I didn't see the union protecting either the kids or their teachers.
Let's start taking the people who say, "You can take this gun out of my cold, dead hand", at their word. Seems like they mean it.
Yeah, my reaction to the "you can take this gun...." statement usually runs something like, "Well, if you insist."
Your welcome to try, but to be honest. The military taught me to be able to use about anything as a weapon. So.....if you insist!
This is totally awful, just wondering if that was what mommy said before he took of with her stash.
Shesa ~ America's Finest. God help us all.
Lets see? Maybe we should ban Abortion too. That kills 1.3 million children a year. And doctors kill a million a year through wrong diagnosis. Its called iatrogenic disease. Pharmaceuticals advertise their death in TV ads and kill a million a year. An estimated 10,228 people who died in drunk driving crashes. Maybe we should ban drunk driving! Oh maybe we should ban Islam, that religion killed 3000 American in one day. We should go door to door and take their Korans. There was a mass killing from a lear jet crash down in Mexico last week. Maybe we should ban airplanes.
Abortion doesn't kill children, not that that's at all relevant.
We did crack down on drunk driving with very positive results - which is an argument in favor of cracking down on access to guns.
The rest of your comments don't deserve a response at all.
We did crack down on drunk driving with very positive results
10,228 people who died in drunk driving. That's okay with you? Sure that's positive! Abortion dose not kill children. Okay babies then. Is that not is not the same!? Your semantics will not work with God!
Taking peoples guns will not work either. The thugs will always get them when needed. Heck our government gives them out to all the Mexican drug cartels. Fast and Furious ring a bell?
Tim never said any number of people being killed by drunk drivers is ok. His point about strict laws regarding drunk drivers has resulted in a decline in people driving drunk. Does this really need to be pointed out to you?
Tim, "children are the heritage of the Lord," and the "fruit of the womb is his reward." Abortion does kill children who should have been born, which are God`s heritage. It`s not their fault for being conceived by women who aren`t ready for giving birth to, and raising a child-or having a rapist as their father.
As concerning guns, Hitler disarmed Germany, before becoming a dictator. The Philistines disarmed Israel, whenever God allowed it, on account of Israel`s fall into idolatry. That is why Samson had to kill the Philistines with the jawbone of an ass! Take away automatic weapons from Americans, and the only ones to have and use them will be robbers and assassins and trigger-happy law enforcement officers. When the disarmed and psychotic people kill and maim with knives, swords, arrows and axes, murders will be lots more gruesome than now.
Then so is masturbation.
Life does not begin at conception, pal. It only end, the only question is when and how. An embryo is not a child. Spare us your fairy tales and paranoid delusions about robbers and assassins.
As for Hitler, ever hear of Godwin's law?
The problem lies in the fact, that too many people with mental illness are treated with kid gloves, they are not monitored correctly, no one makes sure that they take their meds as perscribed or monitors their behavior.
One of the biggest things is the fact that many years ago these people were placed into homes etc where they were treated until they were under control, now today, we send them to outpatient treatement facilities where most of the counselors and staff are more worried about their pay then anything else.
This may sound cruel, but I think the old method of inpatient treatment for mentally ill is the best and only treatment, and if they do not get better, then so be it.
I would much rather pay for treatement for life then pay for my young childs funeral
There are actually state mental institutions. And judges who "commit" people who are a danger to society. Didn't stop this one though. Kid gloves is not so much the issue as they tend to go off the radar when they are off their meds. You want to see a good portion of mentally ill adults in this country, just go to where the homeless hang out in your city. Mainstreaming mentally ill, who are medicated and compliant with treatment, is a good thing and the majority do well. Those who don't are likely to just up and disappear and are more of a risk to themselves than the general population. It's the small fraction that you are talking about. What if I said that all men should be put in jail because some of them kill their spouses and children, therefore they are all potentially a risk? Doesn't make sense. This was tragic. But I am not ready to throw away the constitution in my grief.
Another Crackpot Blips Out! Don't remember his name,just remember the shame!
Mentally ill people used to be institutionalized. This was to protect the public, not to "fix" the mentally ill person. In order to save money, the doors of mental institutions were thrown open and inmates released into the community. The best that can be done is a 72 hour hold for a person who is considered a threat to the person or others. This morning I think that we know that saving money just was not that important.
Obama, faker in chief. Even in the closeup I did not see any real tears. I am sure Icried more than he did.
The real problem is the poor psychiatric care and education available in the US.
You only need one gun to protect yourself. There is no need for an arsenal, period. You want one for protection and some for hunting, go ahead, knock yourself out. But more than one for protection is pure and simple BS.
Oh dear, you just don't get it do you? One gun + several clips or magazines = mayhem.
How many were killed by airplanes crashed into twin towers and the pentagon? Lets ban airplanes.
How many were killed by a fertalizer bomb in Oklahoma by Timothy McVay (sp)? Lets ban fertalizer.
How many innocent children killed (aborted) every day by PLANNED PARENTHOOD? Let ban them too?
How many are killed by DUIs? Lets ban booze and cars also.
These are all evil acts. Lets ban evil.
Lets create more laws to punish and control the people.
Hey lets punish all the law abiding citizens for that acts of a few evil people. We have history to show what has happened in nations that have banned firearms. Crimes go up.
How about the 20+ children that were slashed at a school by a crazy in China yesterday. And he had a knife.
I blame society for breeding these kinds of people, the media and Hollywood for glamorizing these acts, and the politicians for feeding off of it.
"Town seeks answers?" That's easy. The answer to why it happened: 2nd Amendment. The answer to how to prevent it happening again: Repeal 2nd Amendment and introduce strict gun laws.
So you really believe if we had stricter gun laws this would not have happened. If this person really wanted to do this, gun laws or not, he would have had the weapons to commit this crime. More laws like the laws stopping drug trafficting. Yep that would work.
Liberal "thinkers" like Johnny are so pathetically ignorant and live in a dream world.
Parents and schools have failed to teach the difference between right and wrong. A culture that exhibits excessive violence as "entertainment" instead of the personal attributes of self-control, love, and service to others will continue to see this kind of tragedy.
For those in positions of authority, whether elected or otherwise, while it might be natural to exhibit grief, I for one am sick of men in power exhibiting the wah-wah instead of their standing up to bullies and murderers and making it clear that this behavior is wrong and will not be tolerated.
Too many tears, too many fears and too few years for the young victims and their families.
Man the world is getting too violent! I am gonna go by a gun, I hate being left out.
Lets see? Maybe we should ban Abortion too. That kills 1.3 million children a year. And doctors kill a million a year through wrong diagnosis. Its called iatrogenic disease. Pharmaceuticals advertise their death in TV ads and kill a million a year. An estimated 10,228 people who died in drunk driving crashes. Maybe we should ban drunk driving! Oh maybe we should ban Islam, that religion killed 3000 American in one day. We should go door to door and take their Korans. There was a mass killing from a lear jet crash down in Mexico last week. Maybe we should ban airplanes.
I like you.