20 Kids Among 27 Killed in School Shooting

Adam Lanza killed his mother, then went to the school, say police
By Newser Editors,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 14, 2012 9:57 AM CST
Updated Dec 14, 2012 3:21 PM CST

Details in this morning's horrific school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, are clarifying: A young man killed his mother at their home, then drove to the elementary school he attended as a youth and killed 20 schoolchildren and six adults, reports the Hartford Courant. The shooter, identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, then killed himself. Early reports said his mother, Nancy Lanza, was a kindergarten teacher at the school, but that doesn't appear to be the case, reports Mediaite. More of what's known so far:

  • Lanza's older brother Ryan was initially named as the suspect by a law enforcement official, possibly because Adam was carrying his brother's ID. Ryan, who lives in Hoboken, NJ, was questioned, but authorities say he played no role in the shootings, reports the AP.
  • Authorities say someone turned on an intercom in the school's main office, which captured the hysteria of what was happening when Lanza first entered the building. It also gave everyone else in the school time to prepare.
  • Most of the victims were shot in two first-grade classrooms.
  • Three weapons were found in the school: a Glock and a Sig-Sauer, both of which are handguns, and a .223 Bushmaster rifle; a fourth was found outside the school, possibly in a car, reports AP. Nancy Lanza was reportedly a gun collector, and the weapons may have been registered to her.
  • An emotional President Obama talked about the killings this afternoon.
  • It's the second worst school shooting in US history, after Virginia Tech but deadlier than Columbine.
  • Adam Lanza's father was stunned at the news.
(More shooting stories.)

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