It was a Friday morning, 9:30 AM. Students were minding their own business, treating the day just like any typical schoolday. Within minutes, nothing was the same at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. 26 people were dead, 20 of them children.
A heavily armed man walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School. With two guns in hand, the school’s principal and psychologist were shot. Three law-enforcements have verified the shooter to be 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who killed himself before he could be taken into custody.
The entire school immediately went into emergency mode. Teachers forced students to hide in bathrooms and closets. A kindergarten teacher kept her class inside, locked the doors, covered the windows, and read the children a book to keep everyone calm. A student claimed to be told to hide in the corner by police and teachers.
People were crying and screaming everywhere. It was very difficult for anyone to remain calm. After the shooting had been reported, the children were rushed to the nearest firehouse to escape the tragic scene.
This shooting has been said to be the second-deadliest school shooting after the Virginia Tech shooting, which left 32 dead. Lanza has no previous criminal record, although previous schoolmates can see how he could do such as thing as he was always very quiet and kept everything to himself.
After the investigations took place at the elementary school, another murder was found at a nearby house, later identified to be Lanza’s very own mother, Nancy. She had been a teacher, although not at Sandy Hook Elementary, yet people have concluded that there is some relationship between his mother’s profession and his attack of the school. Lanza’s brother and father were later questioned.
The news fled through the entire country, and around mid-afternoon, President Barack Obama made an emotional speech to the entire nation. Expressing grief and horror as the story continued to unfold, Obama shed some tears as he looked into the camera and said, “our hearts are broken today.”
Flags were ordered flown at half staff as a tribute to the victims, candlelight vigils were planned across the country, and people came together to mourn the loss of the 26 innocent individuals.