America was once again gripped in horror over the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. A lone gunman, Adam Lanza, age 20, began his day of carnage by first murdering his mother, Nancy Lanza, a substitute teacher at the school, shooting her in the face at the home they shared in Newtown with her own guns. He then took his mother′s car and drove to the K-through-4 grade school dressed in black and apparently wearing a bulletproof vest. Armed with two handguns, a 10 millimeter Glock and a Sig Sauer pistol, he entered the school. Within a matter of a few, short minutes, six adults and 20 children were fatally shot. By the time police had arrived, Lanza had already committed suicide, shooting himself. While the Virginia Tech shooting may have had more dead, yesterday′s episode of violence was compounded by the ages of the victims, most of whom were between 5 and 10 years old.
There was much confusion as events unfolded. Early reports identified the shooter as Ryan Lanza, Adam′s 24-year old brother who lived in Hoboken, New Jersey. There was also reports that Adam′s father, Peter, was found dead at the residence in New Jersey. But we now know that both are alive and not involved. Peter and Nancy Lnaza divorced in 2009 and Ryan claims that he has not had any contact with his brother Adam since 2010.
Adam Lanza is described as a loner, as a genius and possibly autistic or having some other form of personality disorder. An honor student and active computer gamer, Adam seems to be someone who had crossed the line from the real world to a virtual reality. His mother had apparently stopped teaching in order to spend more time caring for him. So why did he do this? Did his insanity drive him to not only seek revenge on his mother, but also upon the kindergarten class which she taught? Was Adam Lanza jealous of the other children in his mother′s life?
We may never know the reasons behind this mass shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut. What prompted Adam Lanza to murder his mother, Nancy, in their home, then proceed to kill 26 others at the school. The heroes of the day were the teachers and staff at the school, who helped save the lives of the rest of the 600 students. The principal, Dawn Hochsprung, murdered by Lanza, may have been responsible for turning on the school′s public address system, enabling everyone to be warned. The school′s janitor who went door to door, telling each classroom to lock their doors and hide. Teachers who hid their students in bathrooms and closets. Of course, we must also recognize the first responders, the police and firemen who raced inside the school even before knowing that the shooter was dead.
December 15th, 2012 at 6:30 am
I try to comprehend the agony these parents, surviving children, and family members must be suffering. The weight of their sorrow is surely enough to cut a hole through the center of the earth. It’s incomprehensible…
December 15th, 2012 at 12:42 pm
As for comments…Please nothing about right and left, politics….etc.
This was SO bad.
I think everyone just wants to know why, so it doesn’t happen again. And to leave the families alone.
December 16th, 2012 at 12:40 am
The shooter comes from a VERY liberal family. His mom signed a petition for a crackpot environmental cause two years ago. Yes, of course we can leave them alone — the guy was mental — but we can also note because this IS a political site that lefties commit most of the violent crime in this country. That is something that should be understood and addressed proactively in our society.
December 16th, 2012 at 7:35 am
Some would say my view on this is quite Draconian.
Draconian punishments were very disproportionate to the offense.
In this case there is no such thing.
Ron asks that we find out why these things happen in order to prevent them from happening again.
In my business I deal with a lot of mentally ill people. Some of them are organically afflicted, brain damaged from years of chemical abuse, while others are victims of irreparable traumas or learned behaviors.
Knowing right from wrong is the deciding factor in judging these people.
This monster more than likely knew the difference or he would not of taken his life in the end.
He either knew he’d committed a horrible act and/or that he was going to receive severe punishment.
We need to make examples of the ones who are found to be lucid, in that they know its wrong.
I propose that when found guilty they face a jury of 12 mental health experts who will determine punishment.
If more than 6 determine the defendant is competent enough to know right from wrong they shall receive punishment that will cause them great pain as long as they live. And we must do our best to keep them alive as long as possible.
Or, if convicted by more traditional means simply place them with the general population.
Some say that would be inhumane.
And I say “exactly”.
Instead we watch them go through endless cycles of evaluations, appeals and coddling by pacifists and apologists who think every evil man can be fixed and when sentenced are placed in solitary, clean environments,fed,all the healthcare they need,TVs,an hour a day recreation, nutritionally balanced meals etc…
Yes, solitary is rough, but most assimilate to these conditions just fine.
I’m willing to bet that if the backlash were more severe and visible to the public,instead of them growing more frequent, we’d see a lot less of these horrors.
In the case of those too sick to know right from wrong I say that we as people drop the ball constantly by complete ignorance or casting bigoted judgement on those seeking help.
Its no wonder so many slip through the cracks when they face ridicule, shame, or marks on their records that follow them for life for simply seeking help at one time in their life.
Thats if they can find help.
We are becoming a desensitized nation of isolationists ,we need to start connecting with each other more often.
I might be babbling, but I too am having a pretty hard time with this