Newtown Shooting: Young Survivor Recalls Horror

By Tom Parmenter and Brian Donathan, Sky News

An eight-year-old consoled his classmates as Adam Lanza went on his shooting rampage, reassuring them his policeman dad was on the way to save them.

Luke Santana, a third grader at Sandy Hook Elementary School, said he was ushered into an adjacent classroom by teachers as the gunman began his killing spree.

He told Sky News: "It was awkward because everyone was piling up on each other, and I was saying, 'Don't worry ... stop crying. My dad is a police officer, he's going to help'."

Luke said his father was physically sick after facing the traumatic task of dealing with the aftermath of the massacre of 20 children and six adults at the school.

Luke's mother Lisandra Santana said her husband heard the call go out on the radio and rushed to the scene both as a father and a first responder.

"He wasn't sure if his son was alive," she said.

The Santanas did not have to confront the nightmare that has been thrust upon the parents of 20 murdered children in Newtown, Connecticut.

"I was really happy to know that he was OK," said Mrs Santana as she stood next to her son near a makeshift memorial not far from the school. "I just ran in there and hugged him and started kissing him."

"I just pray for those who didn't make it," she added.

Luke's father, also named Luke, agreed to allow his son to speak to Sky News, but declined to comment himself.

With his mother looking on, the younger Luke expressed his condolences for the families who lost loved ones, including a classmate whose little sister was killed and his former first grade teacher Victoria Soto.

Ms Soto has been praised for saving students by hiding them in a closet before Lanza entered her classroom.

"She shielded her students," Luke said.

Mrs Santana acknowledged her son's bravery as well.

"He's gone through a lot, but I'm so proud of him," she said.

"I'm glad he was brave and that he was able to talk to his classmates and tell them everything was going to be OK."

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

US School Shooting 'Sparks Rise In Gun Sales'

Killer's Mum 'Prepared For Worst'

Updated: 12:23pm UK, Monday 17 December 2012

The mother of the Connecticut gunman, who was the first of his 27 victims and was killed with a rifle she owned, was "prepared for the worst", according to people who knew her.

Adam Lanza's aunt said Nancy Lanza had a survivalist mentality and was worried about protecting her home if the US economy nosedived.

She is reported to have been stockpiling food in the large home she shared with her 20-year-old son in Newtown, Connecticut.

Nancy Lanza, 52, who friends said kept her private life private, owned and registered the two handguns and rifle her son used in Friday's shooting.

The weapons were among half a dozen firearms legally registered to her, authorities said.

The divorced mother-of-two was found dead in her pyjamas in bed after being shot four times in the head with the rifle.

After leaving the house, the gunman then went to Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown with the weapons he took from her.

He got inside by breaking a window and began blasting his way through the building and murdering 20 children, all aged six or seven, and six women.

Investigators said Nancy Lanza had visited shooting ranges several times and that her son also went to a range.

Ginger Colburn, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said it was still not clear whether Nancy Lanza brought her son to the range or whether he ever fired a weapon there.

Adam Lanza's aunt Marsha Lanza told the Chicago Sun-Times that Nancy Lanza wanted guns for protection.

"She prepared for the worst," Marsha Lanza told the newspaper. "I didn't know that they (the guns) would be used on her."

She also told CBS: "Last time we visited with her in person, yeah, we talked about prepping and 'are you ready for what can happen down the line when the economy collapses?'

"I didn't actually see them (guns), we just talked. I knew she had three."

Dan Holmes, who got to know Nancy Lanza while doing landscaping work for her, told The Washington Post: "Guns were her hobby. She told me she liked the single-mindedness of shooting."

Mr Holmes said Nancy Lanza never invited him in. She would pay him in the yard and the landscaper never saw Adam.

"I would ring the bell on the front door, and she would come out the side and meet me," he said. "It was a little weird. It's stranger now thinking back on what happened."

One law enforcement officer said Adam Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's, a mild form of autism characterised by social awkwardness.

The gunman has been described as "socially awkward", "shy", "a nerd" and "super smart".

As a teenager he would scuttle from class to class, pressing himself against walls and clutching a black briefcase "like an eight-year-old with a teddy bear".

Marsha Lanza could not confirm reports that Adam Lanza had Asperger's or any other learning disability.

But she said his mother had disputes with the local school district and eventually ended up educating Adam Lanza at home.

"(Nancy) had issues with school ... She battled with the school district. I'm not 100 per cent certain if it was behaviour, learning disabilities, I really don't know. But he was very, very bright. He was smart."

Education officials said they had found no link between Nancy Lanza and Sandy Hook school, contrary to news reports that said she was a teacher there.

Investigators said they believe Adam Lanza attended the school many years ago, but they had no explanation for why he went there on Friday.

Neighbour Rhonda Cullens said she knew Nancy Lanza from get-togethers she hosted where they played Bunco, a dice game. She said her neighbour had enjoyed gardening.

"She was a very nice lady," Ms Cullens said. "She was just like all the rest of us in the neighbourhood, just a regular person."

Louise Tambascio, who became a shopping and dining companion of Nancy Lanza said: "Her family life was her family life when we were together. She kept it private. That was her own thing."

Marsha Lanza described Nancy Lanza as a good mother. "If he had needed consulting, she would have gotten it," she said. "Nancy wasn't one to deny reality."

But friends and neighbours said Nancy Lanza never spoke about the difficulties of raising her son.

Mostly she noted how clever he was and that she hoped, even with his problems, that he would find a way to succeed.

Court records show Nancy Lanza and her ex-husband, Peter Lanza, were divorced in 2009. He lives in Stamford and is a tax director at General Electric.

When the couple divorced, he left their spacious home to Nancy Lanza and told her she would never have to work another day in her life, said Marsha Lanza.

The split was not acrimonious and Adam Lanza spent time with both his mother and father, she said.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

US Shooting: Obama Visits Newtown In Mourning

Barack Obama has told the families of the 26 people killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School that mass shooting tragedies "must end".

Speaking at a vigil in memory of the victims, the US president told an emotional audience: "Newtown, you are not alone."

He struggled to maintain his composure - and there was audible sobbing throughout the packed hall - as he read the first names of each of the 20 children killed in America's worst school shooting.

Mr Obama said: "God has called them home. For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on and make our country worthy of their memory."

The president also promised to use the power of his office to safeguard Americans from further massacres, telling mourners that the country is "not doing enough" to protect its children.

"These tragedies have to end, and to end them we must change," he said.

The was audible sobbing throughout the service

"We, as a nation, are left with hard questions."

Mr Obama paid tribute to the six adults who lost their lives when 20-year-old Adam Lanza went on a rampage through the school armed with an assault rifle.

He said: "We know when danger arrived the school staff did not flinch. They responded as we all hope we might respond in such terrifying circumstances. With courage and with love, giving their lives to protect the children in their care."

"I come to offer the love and cares of the nation. I'm very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow.

"I can only hope it helps for you to know you're not alone in your grief - our world too has been torn apart ... we have wept with you."

Mr Obama struggled to maintain his composure

Mr Obama's visit comes as the town braces itself for the first funerals for victims of Friday's shooting.

Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy told the audience Mr Obama had said the day of the shootings had been the most difficult of his presidency so far.

Mr Obama also met emergency service workers who were among the first on the scene, minutes after the shooting started.

Kevin Paturzo, 25, said: "Just him coming to this town is much appreciated.

"It's a small community, everybody knows everybody around here. Him coming out here, reaching out to the families is deeply respected, but it's going to take a lot of grieving."

At a packed St Rose Catholic Church, the priest's announcements included news that the Christmas pageant rehearsal would go on as planned, but without six-year-old Olivia Engel, who died before she could play the role of an angel.

Shortly before Mr Obama was due to arrive, worshippers at the church close to the school were evacuated after a reported bomb threat.

Armed police were sent but it was quickly decided that there was no danger to the public.

Makeshift memorials have appeared around the town, the largest of which sits at the end of Dickenson Drive where Sandy Hook Elementary stands.

Lanza's motive remains unclear. He killed his mother before heading to the school and committed suicide as police closed in.

Authorities said on Sunday that Lanza was carrying hundreds of rounds of especially deadly ammunition, enough to kill just about every student in the school if given time.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shooting: Lanza's Mum 'Prepared For Worst'

The mother of the Connecticut gunman, who was the first of his 27 victims and was killed with a rifle she owned, was "prepared for the worst", according to people who knew her.

Adam Lanza's aunt said Nancy Lanza had a survivalist mentality and was worried about protecting her home if the US economy nosedived.

She is reported to have been stockpiling food in the large home she shared with her 20-year-old son in Newtown, Connecticut.

Nancy Lanza, 52, who friends said kept her private life private, owned and registered the two handguns and rifle her son used in Friday's shooting.

The weapons were among half a dozen firearms legally registered to her, authorities said.

The divorced mother-of-two was found dead in her pyjamas in bed after being shot four times in the head with the rifle.

After leaving the house, the gunman then went to Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown with the weapons he took from her.

He got inside by breaking a window and began blasting his way through the building and murdering 20 children, all aged six or seven, and six women.

Nancy Lanza was the first victim before 26 others were shot

Investigators said Nancy Lanza had visited shooting ranges several times and that her son also went to a range.

Ginger Colburn, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said it was still not clear whether Nancy Lanza brought her son to the range or whether he ever fired a weapon there.

Adam Lanza's aunt Marsha Lanza told the Chicago Sun-Times that Nancy Lanza wanted guns for protection.

"She prepared for the worst," Marsha Lanza told the newspaper. "I didn't know that they (the guns) would be used on her."

She also told CBS: "Last time we visited with her in person, yeah, we talked about prepping and 'are you ready for what can happen down the line when the economy collapses?'

"I didn't actually see them (guns), we just talked. I knew she had three."

Lanza in his high school yearbook

Dan Holmes, who got to know Nancy Lanza while doing landscaping work for her, told The Washington Post: "Guns were her hobby. She told me she liked the single-mindedness of shooting."

Mr Holmes said Nancy Lanza never invited him in. She would pay him in the yard and the landscaper never saw Adam.

"I would ring the bell on the front door, and she would come out the side and meet me," he said. "It was a little weird. It's stranger now thinking back on what happened."

One law enforcement officer said Adam Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's, a mild form of autism characterised by social awkwardness.

The gunman has been described as "socially awkward", "shy", "a nerd" and "super smart".

As a teenager he would scuttle from class to class, pressing himself against walls and clutching a black briefcase "like an eight-year-old with a teddy bear".

The car Lanza drove to school for his gun rampage is towed away

Marsha Lanza could not confirm reports that Adam Lanza had Asperger's or any other learning disability.

But she said his mother had disputes with the local school district and eventually ended up educating Adam Lanza at home.

"(Nancy) had issues with school ... She battled with the school district. I'm not 100 per cent certain if it was behaviour, learning disabilities, I really don't know. But he was very, very bright. He was smart."

Education officials said they had found no link between Nancy Lanza and Sandy Hook school, contrary to news reports that said she was a teacher there.

Investigators said they believe Adam Lanza attended the school many years ago, but they had no explanation for why he went there on Friday.

Neighbour Rhonda Cullens said she knew Nancy Lanza from get-togethers she hosted where they played Bunco, a dice game. She said her neighbour had enjoyed gardening.

"She was a very nice lady," Ms Cullens said. "She was just like all the rest of us in the neighbourhood, just a regular person."

Louise Tambascio, who became a shopping and dining companion of Nancy Lanza said: "Her family life was her family life when we were together. She kept it private. That was her own thing."

Marsha Lanza described Nancy Lanza as a good mother. "If he had needed consulting, she would have gotten it," she said. "Nancy wasn't one to deny reality."

But friends and neighbours said Nancy Lanza never spoke about the difficulties of raising her son.

Mostly she noted how clever he was and that she hoped, even with his problems, that he would find a way to succeed.

Court records show Nancy Lanza and her ex-husband, Peter Lanza, were divorced in 2009. He lives in Stamford and is a tax director at General Electric.

When the couple divorced, he left their spacious home to Nancy Lanza and told her she would never have to work another day in her life, said Marsha Lanza.

The split was not acrimonious and Adam Lanza spent time with both his mother and father, she said.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newtown Shooting: Gunman Was Honours Student

The gunman behind the Connecticut school shooting was an honours student who lived in a wealthy neighbourhood with his mother.

Adam Lanza, 20, killed his mother Nancy at the home in Newtown they shared. He then drove her car to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where she had worked, and killed 20 children and six adults before taking his own life.

So far, authorities have not spoken publicly of any possible motive. They found no note or manifesto, and Lanza - who was armed with at least two handguns and a high powered rifle - had no criminal history. He did not speak during the shooting, witnesses say.

A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity said investigators believe Lanza attended Sandy Hook Elementary School several years ago.

Lanza attended Newtown High School and several local news clippings from recent years mention his name among the school's honour roll students.

Adam Lanza was described as socially awkward

Officials have said Lanza may have suffered from a personality disorder - and the gunman's older brother, Ryan Lanza, believes he did as well.

Police reportedly earlier confused Adam Lanza with Ryan, whose identity card he had been carrying with him when he went into the school.

The shooter's brother had been extremely co-operative and was not under arrest or in custody, but investigators were still searching his computers and phone records.

Ryan Lanza told police officers he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.

Brett Wilshe, a friend of Ryan Lanza's, said he sent him a Facebook message on Friday asking what was going on and if he was OK.

Ryan Lanza, the gunman's brother, has been interviewed by police

According to Wilshe, Ryan Lanza's reply was something along the lines of: "It was my brother. I think my mother is dead. Oh my God."

Adam Lanza's aunt Marsha said her nephew was raised by kind, nurturing parents who would not have hesitated to seek mental help for him if he needed it.

Marsha Lanza said she was close with Nancy Lanza and sent her a Facebook message on Friday morning asking how she was doing. Nancy Lanza never responded.

She described Nancy Lanza as a good mother and kind-hearted. If her son had needed counselling, "Nancy wasn't one to deny reality," she said.

Marsha Lanza said her husband saw Adam as recently as June and recalled nothing out of the ordinary about him.

Catherine Urso, who was attending a vigil on Friday evening in Newtown, said her college-age son knew the killer and remembered him for his alternative style.

"He just said he was very thin, very remote and was one of the goths," she said.

Adam Lanza belonged to the school's technology club, which held LAN - short for local area network - parties, when students would gather at a member's home, hook up their computers into a small network and play games.

Joshua Milas, who graduated from Newtown High School in 2009, said Adam Lanza was generally a happy person but that he had not seen him in a few years.

"We would hang out, and he was a good kid. He was smart," he said.

"He was probably one of the smartest kids I know. He was probably a genius."

Responders gather at the scene of the school shooting

Lanza's parents filed for divorce in 2008, according to court records.

His father, Peter Lanza, lives in Stamford, Connecticut, according to public records, and he reportedly works as a tax director for General Electric.

An official said it was not clear that Adam Lanza had a job, and there was no indication of law enforcement interviews or search warrants at a place of business.

A neighbour in Newtown, Rhonda Cullens, said she knew Nancy Lanza from monthly get-togethers the neighbourhood women had some years ago for games of bunco, a dice game.

"She was a very nice lady," Ms Cullens said.

"She was just like all the rest of us in the neighbourhood, just a regular person."

Sandeep Kapur, who lives two doors down from the Lanza family in Newtown, said he did not know them and was unaware of any disturbances at the Lanza house in the three years that he and his family have been in the neighbourhood.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Victoria Soto Shot Dead After Saving Pupils

Gunman's Family Release Statements

Updated: 4:22am UK, Sunday 16 December 2012

The father of and uncle of dead gunman Adam Lanza have released statements, as America comes to terms with its most deadly school massacre.

Peter Lanza, who has been interviewed by police, said: "Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones and to all those who were injured.

"Our family is grieving along with all those who have been affected by this enormous tragedy. No words can truly express how heartbroken we are.

Mr Lanza, who is an executive with General Electric, added: "We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. We too are asking why.

"We have cooperated fully with law enforcement and will continue to do so.

"Like so many of you, we are saddened, but struggling to make sense of what has transpired."

Meanwhile, Ms Lanza's brother has also released a statement for the families struggling to cope in the aftermath of the shooting spree.

James Champion, an ex-policeman who lives in Kingston in New Hampshire, said: "On behalf of Nancy's mother and siblings, we reach out to the community of Newtown to express our heartfelt sorrow for the incomprehensible loss of innocence that has affected so many."

According to the New York Times, Mr Champion confirmed that FBI agents questioned family members about Adam Lanza on Friday night.

Mr Champion declined to reveal what the FBI was told about his nephew, or if the gunman suffered from developmental disorders or mental illness.

He added that his sister had not working recently however she was previously a stockbroker.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sandy Hook Shooting: The Victims' Stories

The Sandy Hook victims have been described as "beautiful", "sweet" and as "angels", most of them just six or seven when they were gunned down.

As police released a list of the names of the 20 children and seven adults killed by gunman Adam Lanza, friends and relatives have paid their tributes to those who died.

:: Olivia Engel, 6

Olivia had been due to play an angel in the nativity play at her local church. "Now she's an angel up in heaven," Monsignor Robert Weiss said.

Dan Merton, a long-time family friend, described Olivia as a "teacher's pet" and said that she had "perfect manners".

"Her only crime," he said, "is being a wiggly, smiley six-year-old".

Emilie Parker, 6

:: Emilie Parker, 6

Emilie was studying Portuguese with her father, Robert, before school on the morning she died. He had left after hearing her say "good morning" in the language.

He said: "She was beautiful. She was blond. She was always smiling" and that "I'm so blessed to be her dad".

He said he would now struggle to explain to her two siblings, aged three and four, what had happened.

Dylan Hockley, 6

:: Dylan Hockley, 6

Dylan was born in Hampshire but had been living in Newtown since 2011 with his mother Nicole, father Ian and older brother, Jake.

The family lives in a house opposite the home in which Adam Lanza, the killer, lived with his mother Nancy.

Mrs Hockley, an American, had recently told the local newspaper that she was happy with life in the community and said: "Newtown is a wonderful place to live."

Family friend, Theresa Moretti, said: "Dylan was a lovely boy. He had dimples and blue eyes and a mischievous grin."

Charlotte Bacon, 6

:: Charlotte Bacon, 6

When she went to school on Friday, Charlotte had begged her mother to wear a new pink dress and boots that were supposed to be for Christmas.

It was the first and last time she would wear the outfit.

Her parents, JoAnn and Joel, had lived in Newton for around five years with Charlotte and her older brother, Guy, who also attended Sandy Hook but was not injured in the shooting.

Charlotte's uncle said that she could "light up the room for anyone."

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

:: Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

Ana had only been at the school for a few months after her family moved to the area so her father, the Canadian jazz musician, Jimmy Greene, could take up a job as a music professor.

Described by a family friend as "vivacious and affectionate" Ana had been the subject of a song on her father's 2009 album Mission Statement, called Ana Grace.

Ana attended the school with her older brother, who was not hurt in the shooting.

Noah Pozner, 6

:: Noah Pozner, 6

Noah Pozner attended Sandy Hook school with his twin sister. He was killed, she survived the attack, as did his older sister.

Their mother, a nurse at the local hospital, completely broke down when she learned the news of her son's death.

Rabbi Shaul Praver, of Congregation Adath Israel, told MSNBC: "He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and his little body could not endure so many bullets like that."

Grace McDonnell, 7

:: Grace McDonnell, 7

Described by her babysitter as a "beautiful, sweet girl", Grace lived so close to her killer Adam Lanza's house the family can nearly see it from their windows.

Neighbours say Grace, whose mother Lynn, 45, is a housewife, and father Christopher, 49, is a business executive, was "utterly adorable".

She has an 11-year-old brother, Jack.

Chase Kowalski, 7

:: Chase Kowalski, 7

Chase was looking forward to Christmas, he told a neighbour he was hoping to get his two front teeth back.

The first-grade student, who has two older sisters, loved being outside and playing on a slide or in the family's swimming pool.

He had completed and won his first mini-triathlon. His neighbour, Kevin Grimes, said: "You couldn't think of a better child."

Catherine Hubbard, 6

:: Catherine Hubbard, 6

Catherine's parents, Jennifer and Matthew, released a statement and a picture of their daughter.

In it they said: "We are greatly saddened by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Catherine Violet and our thoughts and prayers are with the other families who have been affected by this tragedy.

"We ask that you continue to pray for us and the other families who have experienced loss in this tragedy."

Jesse Lewis, 6

:: Jesse Lewis, 6

Jesse was supposed to be making gingerbread houses and his father Neil Heslin had been planning to go to Sandy Hook School to watch.

Mr Heslin told The New York Post that his son, who was in Victoria Soto's class, was happy when he dropped him off at the school gates. "That was the last I saw of him", he said.

He was keen on horse riding and had a collection of animals he enjoyed playing with.

James Mattioli, 6

:: James Mattioloi, 6

James is the son of Cindy Mattioli from the upstate New York town of Sherrill.

The mayor, William Vineall said: "Everybody will be there for them, and our thoughts and prayers are there for them."

Daniel Barden, 7

:: Daniel Barden, 7

Daniel was a budding athlete who was on the swim team and enjoyed playing soccer.

He was described by a family friend as "a sweet boy".

Josephine Guy, 7

:: Josephine Guy, 7

Josephine had celebrated her seventh birthday just three days before she was gunned down by Adam Lanza.

Victoria Soto, 27

:: Victoria Soto, 27, teacher

The teacher died a hero, putting herself between the children in her class and the gunman.

She had always wanted to be a teacher, it was her one goal. "She put those children first. That's all she ever talked about," said her friend Andrea Crowell.

Described by pupils as "really nice and funny", they fondly recalled how Miss Soto had a habit of chewing gum in class.

Lauren Rousseau, 30

:: Lauren Rousseau, 30, teacher

Miss Rousseau wanted to be a teacher when she was in primary school and was thrilled to finally realise her dream when she because a full-time teacher at Sandy Hook.

She has been described as gentle but spirited and active. She planned to watch The Hobbit with her boyfriend on Friday and had baked cupcakes for a party they were to attend afterwards.

Her mother, Teresa Rousseau, said: "Lauren wanted to be a teacher from before she even went to kindergarten. We will miss her terribly and will take comfort knowing that she had achieved that dream."

Dawn Hochsprung, 47

:: Dawn Hochsprung, 47, principal

The head teacher was fiercely proud of her school and fiercely protective of it too.

So much so she died after lunging at the gunman Adam Lanza as he launched his attack.

She had led the 700-pupil elementary school for two years and implemented the latest teaching techniques.

Mrs Hochsprung, who had two daughters and three step daughters, also installed new safety measures there, with the mantra "safety first".

Mary Sherlach, 56

:: Mary Sherlach, 56, school psychologist

Mrs Sherlach was preparing for her retirement after 18 years at Sandy Hook School.

Married for 31 years, with two daughters, aged 25 and 28, she loved her job and was dedicated to the education of young children.

Her son-in-law, Eric Schwartz, said that she had planned to leave work early on Friday but never got the chance. She had died, he added, doing what she loved.

He said: "Mary felt like she was doing God's work, working with the children."

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

British Boy Dies In US School Shooting

A British-born boy has been named as one of the victims of the worst school shooting in America's history, Sky News has learned.

Dylan Hockley, 6, was shot dead by a gunman at an elementary school in Connecticut.

He was born in Hampshire to a British father and American mother.

The family are understood to have recently moved to Connecticut, and their former neighbours in the UK described them as a "very beautiful family".

Two women like candles in Newtown in memory of the victims

Maria Sweet, 81, said: "I love that little boy so much. He was very, very good. He used to come to see me and call me all the time."

Mike Wimbridge added: "You just can't believe it, a young family move back to America ... for a better life for the children, then to be taken like this, I'm lost for words."

Twenty children and seven adults, including the gunman's mother, died before Adam Lanza, 20, turned a gun on himself at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

It has been confirmed that US President Barack Obama will attend a memorial service in Newtown later today, and will speak at an interfaith vigil for families of the victims.

Until recently the Hockley family lived at this house in Hampshire

Meanwhile, a father has paid an emotional tribute to his murdered six-year-old daughter, after police released the names of the gunman's 27 victims.

Robbie Parker said his final conversation with Emilie was in Portuguese, the language he was helping to teach her.

"She told me 'good morning' and asked how I was doing, and I said that I was doing well," he told reporters.

"She said that she loved me, and I gave her a kiss and I was out the door."

A woman and child pray outside a church in the town

Headteacher Dawn Hochsprung and school psychologist Mary Sherlach both died as they tried to confront the gunman.

The pair were in a meeting with therapist Diane Day on Friday, when the gunman began shooting at 9.30am.

On hearing the shots, they both jumped out of their seats and ran out of the room.

"They didn't think twice about confronting or seeing what was going on," Ms Day said.

Ms Hochsprung is also believed to have switched on a loudspeaker system in the school to alert students and staff to the danger.

"She was just an amazing woman ... the kids loved her. It's a huge loss for our school and our town," said assistant librarian Maryanne Jacobs.

Fourth-grade teacher Theodore Varga said: "You could hear the hysteria that was going on.

"Whoever did that saved a lot of people. Everyone in the school was listening to the terror that was transpiring."

Another hero was said to be first-grade teacher Vicki Leigh Soto, 27, described by police as someone who "put herself between the kids and the gunman's bullets".

Her body was found huddled with the students in a classroom closet, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Youth soccer coach David Flook, originally from Northampton, England, told Sky News of the turmoil his town is now in.

"Everybody is absolutely devastated. People don't know what they can do," he said.

He described Newtown as the "least dangerous place on earth".

He added: "It was the perfect town."

The father of gunman Adam Lanza released a statement on Saturday night. He said: "Our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones and to all those who were injured.

"We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. We too are asking why."

On Saturday, police released a list of all the victims of Lanza: Charlotte Bacon, age 6, Daniel Barden, 7, Olivia Engel, 6, Josephine Gay, 7, Ana M Marquez-Greene, 6, Dylan Hockley, 6, Madeleine F Hsu, 6, Catherine V Hubbard, 6, Chase Kowalski , 7, Jesse Lewis, 6, James Mattioli, 6, Grace McDonnell, 7, Emilie Parker, 6, Jack Pinto, 6, Noah Pozner, 6, Caroline Previdi, 6, Jessica Rekos, 6, Avielle Richman, 6, Benjamin Wheeler, 6, Allison N Wyatt, 6, Rachel Davino, 29, Dawn Hochsprung, 47, Nancy Lanza, 52, Anne Marie Murphy, 52, Lauren Rousseau, 30, Mary Sherlach, 56, and Victoria Soto, 27.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

School Shooting: Calls For Stricter Gun Laws

The husband of the US politician Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in Arizona, has called for action on America's gun laws following the latest mass shooting.

As America deals with the aftermath of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Captain Mark Kelly, a Nasa astronaut, wrote on his Facebook page that tightening the gun controls could wait no longer and called on politicians to act now.

He said: "As we mourn, we must sound a call for our leaders to stand up and do what is right."

He added: "The children of Sandy Hook Elementary School and all victims of gun violence deserve leaders who have the courage to participate in a meaningful discussion about our gun laws - and how they can be reformed and better enforced to prevent gun violence and death in America. This can no longer wait."

Barack Obama wipes away a tear as he calls for "meaningful action"

His wife was one of the people shot by Jared Loughner in Arizona in 2011. She survived with serious head injuries but six others were killed in the attack.

Barack Obama hinted at the possibility of gun law reform following the shooting in Connecticut, signalling it was time to come together to take meaningful action, "regardless of the politics".

There have been 61 mass murders involving firearms since 1982.

The most recent, where Adam Lanza shot dead 27 people on Friday, ranks as the country's worst school shooting.

Of all shootings, it is second in its gravity only to the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007, which claimed 32 lives.

A call for action at the White House vigil for the victims of the shooting

Already there have been protests outside the White House calling for reform of America's liberal gun laws.

Michael Moore, the director of Bowling For Columbine, a documentary which explored America's relationship with guns, tweeted: "Too soon to speak out about a gun-crazy nation? No, too late. At least THIRTY-ONE school shootings since Columbine."

He added: "The way to honour these dead children is to demand strict gun control, free mental health care, and an end to violence as public policy."

But with the right to bear arms enshrined in the second amendment to the US constitution and an increasingly strong gun lobby in the National Rifle Association, it is thought to be unlikely that will take the form of an outright ban.

Part of the problem with the US gun laws is that they vary widely between different states.

Connecticut, the state at the centre of the latest shooting, has the fourth strongest gun laws in the country, the US political commentator Charlie Wolf, told Sky News.

Yet Lanza, who it has been reported has a history of mental health, managed to amass an arsenal of six lethal weapons.

Two handguns and semi-automatic rifle found at the scene appeared to be legally purchased by the mother of the mass shooter.

Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 at Virginia Tech - America's most deadly shooting

Mr Wolf said the Sandy Hook shooting would not lead to an outright ban on gun ownership and that there were other issues which needed to be addressed, such as mental health.

He said: "I'm sure if this guy really wanted to he would have found guns elsewhere. It didn't stop Derrick Bird in this country (UK)."

He said that the right to bear arms was enshrined in the constitution but that it was possible the law could be strengthened to make sure people who shouldn't own guns couldn't buy them.

On top of the differences in gun laws across the states, the federal government regulates very little.

The so-called Brady law, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993, requires federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States.

It is intended to detect any potential red flags in an individual's criminal and mental health history.

But 40 per cent of arms sales are not affected by the law, because they take place between private individuals, through websites, or at gun show stands. These sales are not regulated by the federal government.

Loughner, who carried out the attack that wounded Ms Giffords, obtained the green light from the background check system before purchasing his guns.

He was cleared even though he was suspended from school for misconduct and had a history of drug use.

Gun ownership in the US is now at an all-time low and there is a suggestion that the public increasingly supports some gun control measures.

A recent CCN/ORC poll found a majority supported background checks and a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Perhaps the killing of 20 children all aged under 10 will come to mark the beginning of a discussion that could lead to a rethink on America's gun laws.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Newtown Principal Dawn Hochsprung Among Dead

Obama Cries Over School Shooting

Updated: 12:15pm UK, Saturday 15 December 2012

US President Barack Obama wept as he addressed the nation in the aftermath of the school shootings in Connecticut.

And a day after the shooting, Mr Obama used his weekly address to call for solidarity in the wake of the massacre, where 20 children and seven adults were killed.

Many of those killed in the shooting in the small town of Newtown were between the ages of five and 10.

On Friday, Mr Obama paused repeatedly as he struggled to keep his composure while speaking of the children who had been killed and the milestones in their lives they would never have - birthdays, graduations, weddings.

"Our hearts are broken today," he said, at times using a finger to wipe tears at the corners of his eyes.

Mr Obama said he had reacted to news of the elementary school shooting first as a parent.

He added that he and First Lady Michelle would do what any other parent in America would do - "hug our children a little tighter".

Mr Obama called for "meaningful action" regardless of politics.

"As a country, we have been through this too many times," he said in the televised address from the White House.

Mr Obama said in his weekly address that Americans need to "come together" to prevent tragedies like the school massacre, one of the worst mass shootings in US history.

"While nothing can take the place of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need - to remind them that we are there for them; that we are praying for them; and that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their own memories, but also in their community, and their country," he said.

"Every parent in America has a heart heavy with hurt.

"We grieve for the families of those we lost. And we keep in our prayers the parents of those who survived. Because as blessed as they are to have their children home, they know that their child's innocence has been torn away far too early."

Mr Obama said the tragedy was all too familiar, after similar deadly shootings at a shopping mall in Oregon, at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, and at a movie theater in Colorado earlier this year.

Mr Obama did not give details, but some US politicians called for a serious look at gun control laws, a subject which Mr Obama did not tackle strongly in his first term.

20.48 | 0 komentar | Read More