CBS News: 28 Dead, Including 20 Children in School Shooting

Posted on December 14, 2012 at 8:16 pm by Bob Cesca

Update: In press conference, state police report 28 dead, 20 children.

Update: President Obama moments ago:

“We’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.”

Update: This is the rifle one of the gunmen reportedly used. A perfectly legal .223 caliber assault rifle:

Why on Earth is this monstrosity legal and, according to the NRA, constitutionally protected?

Update: Local news is reporting 22 children are dead.

This is insanity:

CBS News is reporting that at least 26 people are dead, including 18 students, after a mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The gunman is among the dead.

CBS News’ John Miller reports there is preliminary information that the gunman was the father of one of the students. Miller additionally reports the gunman is 20 years old and is from New Jersey.

The shooter was killed and apparently had two guns, a person with knowledge of the shooting said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way. It is not known whether the shooter took his own life or was killed.

CBS News reports that a potential second shooter is in custody and that SWAT is now investigating the home of the suspect.

A witness tells WFSB-TV that a second man was taken out of the woods in handcuffs wearing a black jacket and camouflage pants and telling parents on the scene, “I did not do it.”

Updated.

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  • Vaughndacity

    I become numb to all the news of shootings but this breaks my heart. Crying. Children…why children? Horrifying.

  • JMAshby

    Little kids.

  • zirgar

    I repeat: the NRA cares more about increasing gun sales than it does about saving lives, no matter how much it wants you to think otherwise or how much it wants you to believe those two issues are intertwined.

  • GrafZeppelin127

    Fuuuh-uuuuuh-uck.

    OK, folks, time to reset our chronographs, start counting from zero the days until it’s not too soon to talk about guns, the hours until someone suggests issuing firearms to all schoolchildren, and the minutes until someone says, “Well, if you ban guns, you have to ban cars, silverware and flower pots too, since they can all be used to kill someone.”

    Right. We can’t ban everything that could be used to kill, so why bother trying to control something that can’t really be used for anything else?

    G-d, I hate these people.

    Here’s something I’d like our GOP-enabling friends to explain: If controlling guns won’t stop gun violence, what makes you think that outlawing abortion will stop abortions?

    I think Ted Nugent owes every one of these families a personal apology.

    This is so horrible I can’t think straight.

    • Ned F

      In other news at the moment, while this is going down, Michigan gov Rick Snyder is ready to sign into law sweeping changes in Michigan’s concealed-carry law and streamlining the permit process. The new law will allow firearms in schools, bars, dormitories and sporting events. Honest, I’m not making this up.

      • Victor_the_Crab

        Rick Snyder is a fucking bastard that needs to go to hell!

    • stacib23

      OK, folks, time to reset our chronographs, start counting from zero the days until it’s not too soon to talk about guns…

      Today is the fucking day. Yesterday, last flipping week, last goddamn year.

      I live on the south side of Chicago in what is now graciously called South Shore (it’s been Grand Crossing for most of my lifetime, but South Shore makes it sound better). Just two nights ago we had helicopters flying over my house because of police involved gun violence in the neighborhood. We are living with the fucking terrorists every damn day and nobody is saying one fucking thing about it – including the president who knows this area well.

      I am so damn mad right now.

    • gescove

      Your chronograph is already WAY too late. Digby at Hullabaloo posted a Tweet from Bryan Fischer (Director of Issue Analysis, American Family Association; Host of Focal Point radio program on AFR Talk network. Tupelo, MS). “Shooters attack an elementary school in CT – another “gun-free zone.” Makes children sitting ducks.” The time stamp on the Tweet was 8:02 AM. Jesus H. Christ. I am stunned and wounded to my soul.

      • Corebela

        Oh ya I’m sure the teacher would have unloaded all her bullets on her own son to save everyone if she were only allowed to keep a gun in her drawer. Or no maybe the principal could have came running in mid shootout with the phrase “Not in my school!” and unload on him in time to save 3 kids. If only he could have kept a gun in his office…..

  • Ned F

    Jesus f*cking Christ. what’s the gun rights lobby on this one going to be. This is paralyzing.

    • amaraya

      If all those third graders had been armed to the teeth…

  • JWheels

    This shooting happened 6 miles from my house. Sickening. If we don’t do something about the gun problem in this country more innocent people will die like this guaranteed. I don’t give a fuck if anyone accuses me or everyone else who supports doing something about the gun problem of politicizing a tragedy. It’s not politicizing it by just never wanting it to happen again. This goes beyond politics, it’s about keeping our most vulnerable citizens safe.

  • trgahan

    Cue the NRA-appologist to argue that if the teachers had been armed, and not unionized (gotta get that talking point in), this would never have happened!

    Can someone please link confirmable stories (not the urban legends NRA trolls pitch) of high capacity assult style weapons in the hands of average citizens actually doing good?

    • http://drangedinaz.wordpress.com/ IrishGrrrl

      Honestly, I don’t think there has been any. There are so many examples where people were there, had guns and didn’t respond because of their fear to miss the perp. For example, in the Tucson Shooting (Gabby Giffords, the little girl and a host of other victims) there was a witness who had a handgun. He might even have pulled it out BUT he said everything was too chaotic and he didn’t want to shoot innocent people. Of course, the papers here made damn sure there was very little coverage of his statements regarding why he didn’t shoot. I’m sure there are other examples of this as well.

      • Scopedog

        My brother has a gun collection, but 1) he works in law enforcement, 2) he’s a trained gun instructor, and 3) he always warns against owning a gun unless you are damned sure you can manage one.

        What you said about the Tuscon shooting is correct–my brother told me something similar, that in the midst of so much chaos, it is very easy to mistakenly shoot an innocent person while you are trying to take down the perp.

        I’ve used guns at the shooting range, and I’ve been taught gun safety. But I never want to own one.

  • chucklenuts

    Heart breaking, tears as I watch, I just want to go get my 3 yr and hold her. There are too many emotions to make any salient point at this moment, the emotional trauma on the kids who survived, the devasting emotional trauma happening to the parents who lost a child, I will defer my thoughts until I can get a gripe on this event, I can only hope that the victims can find comfort sooner than later.

  • Chachizel

    SICK OF THIS SHIT!! Can’t even think straight. Why would any average person need a weapon like this? Doesn’t even make sense. I don’t believe in guns at all, but I do feel that it’s probably too late for total gun control, but DAMN….can’t we at least ban assault weapons? Make it harder to get any guns? Can’t we do anything?? Or are our politicians gonna sit with their thumbs up their asses like they’ve done after every one of these recent tragedies? THESE WERE KIDS!!! For fuck’s sake, DO SOMETHING

    • Scopedog

      “Why would any average person need a weapon like this? Doesn’t even make sense.”

      Don’t know. While I have fired a weapon similar to this at a shooting range, it was 1) part of a collection at a police station and 2) I was being supervised by a police officer (my brother’s in law enforcement, and knew some of the officers). But I sure as hell wouldn’t need one of these in my house. And I agree–we need a new assault weapon ban.

  • incredulous72

    Here’s the latest:

    The gunman is 24 year old Ryan Lanza of Hoboken, New Jersey. He traveled to Newtown, Connecticut, to Sandy Hook Elementary School where he killed his mother, a kindergarten teacher at the school as well as killing 18 kindergarten students in her classroom.

    I am beyond sick about this. I’m hurt, I’m angry and I’m fuckin’ fed up with these nihilist gun loving muthafuckas that put their fucked up “right” to bear arms above the security and safety of children.

    CHILDREN! FOUR AND FIVE YEAR OLD CHILDREN! THEY WERE IN KINDERGARTEN FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!

    What will it take? How many more innocents have to die before these screwed up gun laws are changed? HOW MANY MORE CHILDREN HAVE TO DIE?!!!

    In the last few hours, the shooter has be RE-identified as Ryan Lanza’s brother Adam. He is 20 years old and apparently lived in Newtown with his mother. Ryan, the older brother, does live in Hoboken and is being questioned by police in Hoboken, but does not seem to be involved in the incident as he was in Hoboken at the time of the shooting.

    As of last count, there are 28 people dead; 20 children, 7 adults at the scene (which includes the shooter) and one additional person dead at the Lanza residence in Newtown.

    • http://drangedinaz.wordpress.com/ IrishGrrrl

      Holy fuck, 18 kids in one classroom….just saw that two more died at the hospital so 20 from one classroom….I feel like throwing up. I’m angry too. This has got to stop. There are petitions at whitehouse.gov to begin this overdue national conversation, etc. Go check it out. It’s not much but it’s a start.

    • Scopedog

      I wish to god that this POS hadn’t aced himself, because I want to know WHY in God’s name he did this. Christ, I have disagreements with my parents and my family, but this shit…

      Why did he do this? Why these kids? Sadly, he took the answers with him (to hell, I hope….).

  • trgahan

    Someone please explain to me why a private citizen needs a .223 assult rifle without mentioning impending UN invasions,minority uprisings, and/or President Obama….all this shit seems to be used for is killing innocent people en mass to prove an idiotically self-centered point and/or “teach us a lesson.”

  • GrafZeppelin127

    The shooter has been identified as 24-year-old Ryan Lanza.

    What are the odds that Fox Nation and Breitbart are scrambling to find “proof” that this guy is a “liberal,” an “Occupy” member, or a “union thug”?

    • http://drangedinaz.wordpress.com/ IrishGrrrl

      I hadn’t even thought of that….their obsessive focus on hating liberals in the face of such unspeakable tragedy is incredibly disturbing.

  • agrazingmoose

    The NRA’s insistence on protecting the right for citizens to purchase assault rifles has run smack into our right to congregate freely and safely – elementary and high schools, colleges, shopping malls. This has to stop.

    Cue the NRA’s response: only crazy people do these things. All we need to do is weed out the crazy people.

    I would argue that only crazy people purchase assault weapons.

    • Scopedog

      I honestly do not know if this event will make a dent in that shriveled piece of flesh that Wayne LaPierre calls a heart. Columbine, Virginia Tech, Gabby Giffords….each time, the NRA just brushed aside all criticism and called for more guns, no control.

      Even though children were murdered here…they will not change. Unless–and God help me for saying this–someone blew away a member of LaPierre’s family.

      • D_C_Wilson

        If LaPierre goes on TV and even tries to open his fucking mouth, I hope someone is there to punch his face in.

  • Brutlyhonest

    See? THIS is why we need to start teaching them to shoot as soon as possible. If every person at the school, including children, had been armed this shooter could have been stopped dead in his tracks before so many lives were taken.

  • http://www.politicalruminations.com/ nicole

    ENOUGH, ENOUGH, already!!!!!

    WHAT is it going to take to stop these people from destroying this fucking country, from killing our CHILDREN???!!!

    Meanwhile, the right fucking wing isn’t crying. They’re busy formulating excuses and reasons to crank up the gun trade.

    Jesus.Christ.

    • Scopedog

      “Meanwhile, the right fucking wing isn’t crying. They’re busy formulating excuses and reasons to crank up the gun trade.”

      Or stir up a load of BS claiming that Obama’s going after everyone’s guns.

      They have no fucking shame. Even with children dying, they have no shame. Fuck ‘em.

  • Victor_the_Crab

    JESUS FUCKING CHRIST, but I am so Goddamn angry.

    If this tragedy doesn’t wake people the fuck up about the unhealthy gun culture in America and start going after these outfits like the NRA that put firearm rights and quantity over people’s safety and lives, then NOTHING will!!!

  • Victor_the_Crab
  • mrbrink

    Too many guns, too few benefits to warrant an unnecessarily over-armed populace.

    The 2nd Amendment is rooted in the Common defense.

    How’s that working out?

  • muselet

    I have a cousin (first cousin twice removed, to be picky and pedantic) who just started kindergarten this year. He’s smart and funny and curious and he dearly loves his little sister, and I’m looking forward to seeing the man he grows up to be.

    And whether he likes it or not, he’s getting a hug the next time I see him.

    –alopecia

  • 1933john

    Was the shooter a member of the NRA?

  • http://twitter.com/StevenSaidWhat Steven

    It’s obviously too late for doing anything effective about the guns already in the population, but here’s what I want to hear a politician, any politician, say: there is a HUGE difference between owning a hunting rifle for sport or a handgun to protect your family at home and a military-grade assault rifle whose sole purpose is to overpower a similarly armed enemy. So keep your hunting rifles and your personal handguns (because face it, they’re never going away, there are simply too many of them), but get ready to lose your assault weapons, your large-capacity clips, etc. Pass sweeping laws that affect all retail and gun show sales. It might not work, but it would have to be better than the lunacy we have now.

    Take that argument to the American people and I think the NRA will have a hard time refuting it.

  • Eric Shwonek

    I have to comment on this and I hope it’s taken in the right manner.
    The picture and caption used for this topic is bad journalism. Unless there’s new information I haven’t seen, this is not true. Two semi-automatic hand guns were used and a .223 rifle was found in the shooter’s car.
    So what? you might say. He had the gun and it could have been used. I’m splitting hairs. It’s irrelevant that the rifle wasn’t used. It was present.
    Well, remember when it was discovered that Michael Moore had doctored some headlines that appeared in the film “Fahrenheit 9/11″? It didn’t matter that the substance of the headline was true, or that it had appeared in the paper, just not in the manner presented. It became the launchpad for all the conservative arguments that Michael Moore was a hack who doctored evidence and therefore, nothing he said could be trusted.
    And it worked.
    This is exactly the type of mistake that the pro-gun crowd could use to derail every conversation we try to start. And it won’t matter that a picture of a tricked out assault rifle was used to illustrate a point (do we know for sure that that was the model of rifle found and that it had all military enhancements pictured? There are a lot of .223 cal rifles and not all of them are assault rifles). If, in fact, the rifle was not used in the school, it’s all they will talk about or allow to be talked about.
    There. I’ve said my piece.