The nation and the world are mourning the tragedy of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in the town and borough of Newtown, Connecticut. A young man in his 20’s allegedly walked into the school and according to some media reports, shot his mother, a teacher at the school, and a number of children in her class. Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy told media, “the perpetrator is dead as well as a person he lived with”. Connecticut State Police said that a total of 27 persons were killed; including 18 children who died at the scene and 2 who died at the hospital. Seven adults were also killed at the school, including the alleged shooter. There was one person wounded. including 20 children, and 6 adults. West Town is a small community of nearly 27,000 between Danbury and New Haven in southwestern Connecticut.
President Barack Obama spoke to the nation Friday afternoon and in one of most emotional remarks of his presidency said, “We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news I react not as a President, but as anybody else would — as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do. ” The President also addressed shooting tragedies in recent years. “As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago — these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics”. The President ordered American flags flown at half staff through Tuesday at sundown in honor and memory of the victims.
Connecticut Governor Malloy and State Police officials briefed the media Friday afternoon. Click below to listen to that news briefing.
