SPECIAL REPORT ON NEWTOWN SCHOOL MASSACRE

Sunday Night's Interfaith Memorial

President Obama spoke at an interfaith memorial last night (December 16th) in Newtown, Connecticut, for the 26 people killed in a massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary school two days earlier, 20 of whom were children six and seven years old, by 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who also killed his mother before the rampage and then committed suicide as police closed in at the school. Ahead of the president, local clergy members representing various faiths spoke and prayed, as did First Selectman Patricia Llodra, who represents Newtown, and Connecticut Governor Daniel Malloy. The president spoke about this being the fourth such mass shooting tragedy since he took office, and said he would use, quote, "whatever power" has has to prevent it from happening again. Obama, who'd met privately with the families of the victims and emergency personnel before the service, contended that as a nation, we aren't doing enough to keep our children safe and action must be taken, asking, "What choice do we have?" While not saying specifically what he'd push to do, it's assumed part of that will involve taking on the highly contentious issue of gun control. The most poignant and moving part of Obama's speech, however, was at the end, when he read the first names of the children who were killed, while cries and sobs were heard in the in the auditorium at Newtown High School, where the memorial was held. Obama himself had been visibly emotional when speaking about the massacre on Friday, the day it happened, which Governor Malloy said at the memorial last night Obama had told him was the most difficult day of his presidency.

The Victims and Survivors

The 26 victims killed at the school were all shot multiple times with a high-powered Bushmaster rifle, a civilian version of the military's M-16, with ammunition used that's designed to break up inside the body and inflict the maximum amount of damage. All six of the adults were women, and 12 girls and eight boys were killed. Lanza's mother was shot four times in the head, found dead in the home she shared with her son. There were many stories of what District Superintendent Janet Robinson called "incredible acts of heroism" at the school, among both staffers who survived and those who didn't. Principal Dawn Hochsprung was killed as she lunged at Lanza after he shot out a window to get into the school, and school psychologist Mary Sherlach died as she also tried to stop the killer. Teacher Victoria Soto has been hailed as a hero who died while trying to shield her students, and many stories were told of teachers who locked their doors and ordered children to huddle in a corner or hide in closets as they heard the shots.

Those killed and their ages:

• Adults: Dawn Hochsprung, 47; Mary Sherlach, 56; Victoria Soto, 27; Anne Marie Murphy, 52; Lauren Rousseau, 30; Rachel DaVino, 29
• Children: Charlotte Bacon, 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

As for the children who survived the shooting, it's not known when, if ever, Sandy Hook Elementary will re-open. Still unclear is when they'll return to class, although reports are it might be later this week, but when they do, it will be in the neighboring town of Monroe, which has offered the use of school which is currently vacant, but in good condition. The traumatized children and staff will almost certainly need some help in dealing with the tragedy, as will the families of victims and survivors, and even residents of the town of 27,000. Several agencies are already on the ground and offering assistance, and are accepting donations.

• Save the Children -- Has opened a Child Friendly Space in Newtown, where children can play, socialize and begin to recover while their parents get counseling, support and other services. Donations: http://tinyurl.com/ak34uyv
• United Way of Western Connecticut and Newtown Savings Bank to set up the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, which will provide support services to those affected. Donations: https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/
• Newtown Youth and Family Services -- Non-profit mental health clinic which has been providing grief counseling. Donations: http://www.newtownyouthandfamilyservices.org/donate.php

Gunman Adam Lanza

Authorities revealed on Sunday that the massacre could have been much worse than the horror it was, saying that Adam Lanza had been carrying enough ammunition in multiple, high-capacity clips to kill scores more people. Along with the Bushmaster military-style rifle that he used to kill all his victims, the gunman also had two semi-automatic pistols, one of which he used to fatally shoot himself in the head after his 10-minute shooting spree as police began to arrive at the school. He began his rampage at the home where he lived with his mother, Nancy Lanza, by killing her, shooting her four times in the head, and then took the weapons that she owned and drove to the school and began the massacre after getting inside the locked building by shooting out a window.

Investigators have said they believe Lanza attended Sandy Hook many years ago, but don't know why he went there Friday. Contrary to early reports, education officials haven't found any link between Lanza's mother and the school. Lanza didn't leave behind any note or manifesto explaining his actions, and reportedly smashed his computers. However, state police Lieutenant Paul Vance said, quote, "very good evidence," had been found, and the computers have been taken to computer forensic experts in hopes information can be salvaged from the hard drives.

Lanza was described as having been an intelligent, but painfully awkward, student, who seemed to have no close friends. It was reported that he'd been diagnosed with Asperger's, which is a mild form of autism characterized by social awkwardness. However, there is no evidence of a link between the condition and violent behavior, according to experts. Lanza's father, Peter Lanza, who was divorced from Adam and his brother Ryan's mother Nancy, issued a statement on behalf of his family that said, "No words can truly express how heartbroken we are. We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. We too are asking why."

Additional Information:

The Newtown massacre is the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, behind only the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, in which gunman Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and them himself. In the past two decades, only the Virginia Tech massacre and the mass killings of 77 people in Norway last year had greater death tolls.

The American Psychological Association is offering some information on its website about how to deal with your own anxiety and talk to your children about the Newtown massacre. LINK: http://www.apa.org/school-shooting.aspx. Advice can also be found on the PBS Parents website: http://tinyurl.com/atm5ras and that of the National Association of School Psychologists: http://www.nasponline.org/.