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Tag: Sandy Hook

  • Newtown Shooting Report Reveals Shocking Details

    The final reports are in from the Newtown shooting from police – where Adam Lanza went into Sandy Hook Elementary School, and before killing 20 children and six adults with a semi-automatic rifle, he shot dead his own mother at the family home before turning the gun on himself, and committing suicide.

    The report defines Adam Lanza 20, is said to have suffered from mental health issues.

    In a published summary of police findings about the Sandy Hook shooting – they discovered that Lanza had “an obsession” with the 1999 Columbine massacre, during which two teenagers killed 12 students and a teacher.

    The Newtown shooting report also discloses the killer’s upbringing. An Adam Lanza baby photo showed him as a toddler, posed by his parents surrounded by guns and ammunition. The toddler holds a handgun, gnawing on it as if it were a teething toy.

    He was also brought up as a very young boy, to admire not fear guns, of any kind.

    One of Lanza’s former teachers said his creative writing was “so graphic that it could not be shared”. The student would “write 10 pages obsessing over battles, destruction and war”.

    There was also evidence that Lanza’s mother had just discussed with a friend, Adam’s disabilities, the day prior to the shooting.

    Reuben F. Bradford , commissioner of the state’s Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, described the investigation as “unparalleled in the 110-year history of the Connecticut State Police.”

    In a letter accompanying the report, Bradford also alluded to the opposition by many Newtown residents and state officials to the release of the information. Several victims’ families, and some officials, have said such information should remain sealed out of consideration for survivors.

    Bradford said he hoped the details in the report, “though painful, will allow those who have been affected by it to continue in their personal process of healing and will provide helpful information that can be put to use to prevent such tragedies in the future.”

    It was the Newtown shooting that prompted a renewed US campaign for stricter firearms controls. When innocent children die at the hands of a gunman, there isn’t anything more devastating.

    Image via Connecticut State Police Report

  • Newtown Police Release Final Report on Shooting

    It’s been a little over a year since 20-year old Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn., and yesterday police released the final incident report, says CNN.

    The report showed that problems for Lanza began when his mother Nancy began volunteering at Sand Hook. Apparently, he believed she cared for the students more than she did him.

    “Lanza apparently felt that his mother loved the students more than him,” the report read, which may explain why he shot and killed her before going to Sandy Hook and opening fire on 20 small children and six staff members.

    In addition, the report showed that Nancy often dealt with Lanza having Asperger’s syndrome, although many experts believe the disorder had nothing to do with his violent rampage. Plus, a former teacher of Lanza said he seemed to have a preoccupation with war, battles and bloodshed.

    “Adam would write ten pages, obsessing over battles, destruction and war,” said the teacher. The work he submitted was “so graphic that it could not be shared.”

    The report also showed several text messages that Nancy sent to friends about her son’s condition and one message in particular showed her declining some sort of invitation so she could spend more time at home.

    “I really wish I could but I have so much to do and want to spend a little extra time with Adam before I go,” Nancy wrote, as she was planning a lone trip to New Hampshire. “Also, lots of cooking to do because I like to leave him with all his favorites.”

    Plus, an identified man who claimed that he dated Nancy once, said she was planning a trip to London that was supposed to take place on the same week of the shooting, and some believe Nancy might have noticed that Lanza was getting worse, which is why she wanted to get out of town.

    “A couple of last minute problems on the home front” prevented Nancy from taking the trip,” said the unidentified man, who also knew that Lanza had a gun collection. “He knew Lanza to own weapons and that she invited him to go shooting because it was a good stress release,” the report showed.

    But despite the information in the report, police admit they still don’t have a lot of insight into Lanza’s frame of mind on the day of the shooting.

    “What contribution this made to the shooting, if any, is unknown as those mental health professionals who saw him did not see anything that would have predicted his future behavior,” read the report.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Newtown: Obama Addresses Shooting One Year Later, Calls for Stricter Gun Laws

    Today marks the first anniversary of the second deadliest school shooting by one person in history. On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza first killed his mother and then went to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut where he went on a five-minute shooting rampage. The lives of six staff members and 20 first-grade students were taken during the shooting.

    Many people are taking a moment today to remember the victims of the atrocity, including President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle. The couple remembered the victims of the shooting at the White House today. The Obamas lit a candle for each Sandy Hook victim in the Map Room at 9:29 a.m.

    After the Obamas lit the 26 candles, the president acknowledged the Newtown shooting during his weekly radio address and touched on gun control. Despite efforts to create stronger gun control laws over the past year, nothing has changed, something the president is begging Americans to work on. Check out excerpts from his address below.

    One year ago today, a quiet, peaceful town was shattered by unspeakable violence. Six dedicated school workers and 20 beautiful children were taken from our lives forever.

    As parents, as Americans, the news filled us with grief. Newtown is a town like so many of our hometowns. The victims were educators and kids that could have been any of our own. And our hearts were broken for the families that lost a piece of their heart; for the communities changed forever; for the survivors, so young, whose innocence was torn away far too soon.

    But beneath the sadness, we also felt a sense of resolve–that these tragedies must end, and that to end them, we must change.

    And on this anniversary of a day we will never forget, that’s the example we should continue to follow. Because we haven’t yet done enough to make our communities and our country safer. We have to do more to keep dangerous people from getting their hands on a gun so easily. We have to do more to heal troubled minds. We have to do everything we can to protect our children from harm and make them feel loved, and valued, and cared for.

    And as we do, we can’t lose sight of the fact that real change won’t come from Washington. It will come the way it’s always come from you. From the American people.

    While many people are remembering the Newtown shooting victims on Twitter, quite a few folks are irritated that the president used the shooting to bring up gun control.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • Connecticut Police Warned About Talking of Massacre

    Police in Connecticut have been warned not to discuss details from the massacre that occurred last December at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. Apparently, Connecticut state Governor Dannel Malloy asked that police give fewer public discussions regarding the horrifying case. Lawmakers are trying to pass legislation that would hopefully prevent such cases from occurring again.

    According to reports, members of legislature and other Connecticut officials were irritated that Colonel Daniel Stebbins recently discussed Sandy Hook at a conference in New Orleans. Apparently, state officials have been having trouble getting Colonel Stebbins and other police officials to release information to them regarding the case; they say they have repeatedly asked for this information so that they may move forward in drafting their proposed legislation.

    Newspapers in the state reported Tuesday that the state police had canceled upcoming public discussions about the case.

    State police in Connecticut are still working on their final reports from that day, which have not been completed nearly a year since the shootings.

    Reports say that Colonel Stebbins apparently spoke in New Orleans of details from the case that Governor Malloy feared victim’s families’ had not heard. Later, Malloy would stand behind Stebbins in light of the Colonel never receiving any disciplinary action involving this statement.

    As of now, the state police seem to be cooperating with the Governor in his request for officials to be more discerning when asked to discuss Sandy Hook.

    It may be less difficult for officials to close the case and proceed with legislation, were it not still such a mystery in many aspects; there has never been a clear motive given for Adam Lanza’s rampage which took the lives of so many pure and innocent people.

  • That “Violent” Video Game-Burning Party Has Been Canceled Because They Already Made Their Point, Apparently

    SouthingtonSOS, a community organization based in Southington, Connecticut, has announced that they are canceling their “Violent Video Games Return” event, as the media surrounding it has been enough to meet their goals.

    The event, first announced at the beginning of this month, asked people to bring in their copies of “violent” video games, movies, and CDs, to be broken, tossed in a giant dumpster, and eventually incinerated.

    They claimed that the event was not to be taken as a statement on the cause of recent violent massacres such as the recent Sandy Hook elementary school shooting – but that evidence suggests that violent media is responsible. So video games didn’t lead to Sandy Hook, but they totally did. Something like that.

    SouthingtonSOS planned to hand out $25 gift cards to anyone brave enough to snap a copy of Call of Duty in order to tackle the real problem behind the gun violence plaguing the nation. If that sounds like it’s dripping with sarcasm, that’s because it is.

    The two goals that they met, they say, were to raise awareness and get parents talking to their kids.

    “We are pleased to announcethat awareness here has been raised significantly, thanks to the support of the media and widely disseminated e-mail communications within our community through our local Southington SOS member organizations. The result has been a swift, positiveand supportive response of parents, young people and the general population of our community,” said SouthingtonSOS in a statement.

    “An equally important goal was to encourage parents in Southington to have a courageous discussion with their childrenabout thistopic. Day by day the response has increased and continues to increase, making it clear that parents are having these conversations. So, this second mission of inspiring conversations at home has also been accomplished.”

    For those reasons, the group has “reevaluated” and decided to cancel the “return” part of the “Violent Video Game Return” program.

    Now they won’t have to hand out any $25 gift cards, I guess.

    No word on whether SouthingtonSOS has any plans for a future book burning, to tackle the disturbing problem of teenagers making out behind the library.

  • Town Schedules ‘Violent Video Game’ Burning Party Because That’s Obviously an Appropriate Response to Anything

    The town of Southington, Connecticut apparently thinks that destroying “violent” video games, music, and movies is an act of “responsible citizenship.”

    On Saturday, January 12th, the town is sponsoring a “Violent Video Games Return Program” that asks people to bring their discs to a local theatre, break them, and toss them in a dumpster. Polygon says that the disposed-of games, cds, and dvds will later be incinerated.

    The game burning drive is being put on by SouthingtonSOS, an “adhoc group of representatives of organizations across the spectrum of the Southington community responding to the recent violence and murderous massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. This includes the local Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, board of education, United Way, and clergy.

    Although the group states that they are responding to the tragic school massacre in Sandy Hook, they also state that this project shouldn’t be thought of as a statement on video game violence playing a role in the tragedy. Except the evidence suggests that. But they’re not saying it. But it totally does.

    Here, check out their statement for yourself:

    The announcement of the Violent Games Return program was also disseminated electronically last Friday by the Board of Education in behalf of Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joseph Erardi to the homes of all. The publication of the first press story today has attracted a significant response which was no surprise to SouthingtonSOS. The group’s action is not intended to be construed as statement declaring that violent video games were the cause of the shocking violence in Newtown on December 14th.

    Rather, SouthingtonSOS is saying is that there is ample evidence that violent video games, along with violent media of all kinds, including TV and Movies portraying story after story showing a continuous stream of violence and killing, has contributed to increasing aggressiveness, fear, anxiety and is desensitizing our children to acts of violence including bullying. Social and political commentators, as well as elected officials including the president, are attributing violent crime to many factors including inadequate gun control laws, a culture of violence and a recreational culture of violence.

    Participants won’t leave empty handed, as the group says they’ll hand out $25 gift cards on site.

    “As people arrive in their cars to turn in their games of violence, they will be offered a gift certificate donated by a member of the Greater Southington Chamber of Commerce as a token of appreciation for their action of responsible citizenship,” says SouthingtonSOS.

    So, if you’re in the area and feel like destroying your kids’ copy of Halo 4, make sure to read your Bradbury and head on down to the drive-in for a rockin’ good time.

  • 3D Printed Gun Parts Are Being Removed From Thingiverse

    3D Printed Gun Parts Are Being Removed From Thingiverse

    Thingiverse is by far the most popular Web site for those looking for 3D printing designs. The Web site, owned by Makerbot, offers designs for just about everything – including gun parts. Said parts were technically against the rules, but Makerbot rarely enforced it until the Sandy Hook tragedy.

    Forbes reports that Thingiverse is now removing gun parts from the site. Those who had uploaded parts to the site were recently greeted with notices that said their parts were in violation of a rule that said users can’t promote “illegal activities” or “contribute to the creation of weapons.”

    The removal of gun parts from Thingiverse shouldn’t be surprising. It was against the Web site’s policies, and the moderation team is only being spurred to act on the heels of a tragedy involving gun violence. 3D printing is already on some lawmakers’ radars because of the technology’s potential to make weapons, and Thingiverse undoubtedly wants to remain out of sight when lawmakers start investigating.

    With all that being said, this isn’t the end of 3D printed guns. Thingiverse was just one portal for designs, albeit the most popular. There are a multitude of options for gunsmiths to upload designs including popular torrent trackers. The guys at Defense Distributed are also continuing their work on a 3D printed gun, and will be releasing a new video this weekend of their latest research into a 3D printed lower receiver for an AR-15 rifle.

    Gun control is going to be at the forefront of national discussion early next year, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are going to propose a lot of legislation. 3D printed guns will undoubtedly be roped into the talks. It will be interesting to see what lawmakers will have to say about 3D printers at that time. Will there be more ignorance, or will lawmakers understand that gun parts are just one tiny sliver of the 3D printing equation?

  • Adam Levine Joins “Voice” Judges For Teary Tribute

    Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Cee-Lo, and Blake Shelton took to the stage at the beginning of their top 3 show to pay tribute to the young victims of the Newtown shootings on Monday night, leaving the audience teary-eyed as they joined the remaining contestants in a haunting rendition of “Hallelujah” while holding up namecards for each victim.

    The tribute, which took the place of the show’s usual loud, bright, over-the-top opening routine, has been widely regarded as the most touching version of the song that’s come about in a long time and was a much-needed nod to the families and victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. “Saturday Night Live” also replaced their opening bit with a tribute, adding a children’s choir to the stage rather than a comedy sketch.

  • Nancy Lanza: Did She Play A Role In Son’s Breakdown?

    Nancy Lanza, the 52-year old mother of the gunman who took 26 lives in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday, is being portrayed as a potential source of the issues plaguing her son.

    Lanza was an avid gun collector and was described by those who knew her as a “survivalist” who stockpiled water and food for an oncoming economic crisis. She was also loathe to let anyone into her home and friends and family say they rarely saw Adam Lanza; it’s been reported that he suffered from Asperger’s Syndrome, and some say the combination of the disorder and a lack of social interaction could be huge factors in what set him off last week.

    Described by those close to him at school as a “genius”, Adam struggled with a learning disorder and spent much of his time at home on the computer, absorbed in his own world. Rumors that Nancy Lanza was so protective of her youngest son that she wouldn’t let him out of her sight–even to use the restroom–are being circulated after it was reported that she stopped working in order to spend more time taking care of him. Still, the anti-social behavior continued right up until the shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

    “You would say ‘‘hi’’ and he would say ‘‘hi’’ back but he didn’t give you a lot to work with. He wasn’t exactly welcoming,” said Kate Leen, who attended school with Adam.

    An acquaintance of Nancy’s who spoke to her in a pub about a week before the shootings says she knew something was going on with her son but felt she couldn’t help him.

    “Nancy told me he was burning himself with a lighter. In the ankles or arms or something,” he said. “It was like he was trying to feel something.”

    Nancy Lanza was found shot to death in her bed after police raided the home, and a computer in Adam’s room was smashed to bits on the floor; investigators are currently trying to repair the hard drive in an effort to look for any small clue as to why Adam took off with his mother’s guns on Friday and ended so many lives.

  • Anonymous Targets Westboro Baptist After Church Threatens To Protest At Sandy Hook

    On Friday, Sandy Hook Elementary witnessed one of the worst displays of violence in our nation’s history. Since then, an outpouring of support from the nation has gone to the battered community to help them get back on their feet. The folks at the Westboro Baptist Church, however, feel that this tragedy is an example of God’s wrath, and are planning a protest at the town. Anonymous has made it clear that it’s not going to let that happen.

    KYAnonymous, the Anon who targeted revenge porn magnate Hunter Moore, has now taken up a new operation called #OpWBC. Anonymous has targeted Westboro in the past, but those operations have been more about taking down the church’s Web sites and trolling its members. This operation got a little more serious as some members of Anonymous have now leaked personal information on the church’s members and even hacked one of its member’s Twitter account.

    KYAnonymous sent along the following press release to announce the operation:

    As you may not have acknowledged our existence, we, on the otherhand, have recognized yours. We have seen your depraved methods of disseminating your message of hate throughout The United States of America. We have witnessed you defaming the memories of those who sacrificed themselves for the security of our nation, disrupting the peace of the educational environment within high schools and universities, breeding hatred within the fragile minds of your own next of kin, desecrating the name of God by protesting in the proximity of churches and synagogues, and mangling the biblical text to conform in accordance with your malevolent cause.

    Your pseudo-faith is abhorrent, and your leaders, repugnant. Your impact and cause is hazardous to the lives of millions and you fail to see the wrong in promoting the deaths of innocent people. You are self-appointed servants of God who rewrite the words of His sacred scripture to adhere to your prejudice. Your hatred supersedes your faith, and you use faith to promote your hatred.

    Since your one-dimensional thought protocol will conform not to any modern logic, we will not debate, argue, or attempt to reason with you. Instead, we have unanimously deemed your organization to be harmful to the population of The United States of America, and have therefore decided to execute an agenda of action which will progressively dismantle your institution of deceitful pretext and extreme bias, and cease when your zealotry runs dry. We recognize you as serious opponents, and do not expect our campaign to terminate in a short period of time. Attrition is our weapon, and we will waste no time, money, effort, and enjoyment, in tearing your resolve into pieces, as with exposing the incongruity of your distorted faith.

    Anonymous possesses a plethora of information within our network about the many divisions of Christianity and numerous other religious doctrines. Many of us are versed in the biblical text, and we can identify each and every of your violations of scripture. You abuse the Holy Bible which you do not fully comprehend and know not of the thousands of authors to impose upon other people when you can simply coalesce with your loved ones and live in the manner you deem plausible. You engage in reciprocal fornication with another man and preach adultery as a sin. You, Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper violated Deuteronomy 5:18. As a result, your son Sam is the living, breathing proof of your act of simple loneliness. Simply put, it takes not a genius to realize an arrogant woman’s loose moral string, and its predilection to progressively wither and fray.

    From the time you have received this message, our attack protocol has past been executed and your downfall is underway. Do not attempt to delude yourselves into thinking you can escape our reach, for we are everywhere, and all-seeing, in the same sense as God. We are a body of individuals who fight for a purpose higher than self, and seek to bring the malevolent intent of the malefactors to light.

    We will not allow you to corrupt the minds of America with your seeds of hatred. We will not allow you to inspire aggression to the social factions which you deem inferior. We will render you obsolete. We will destroy you. We are coming.

    As part of the release, KYAnonymous also dumped all the personal details of every Westboro Baptist Church member. We won’t link to the dump, but trust me when I say it’s exhaustive and includes more information than your average dox attack. It even lists all the cell phone numbers attached to each member.

    Following the doxing attack, Anonymous member, @CosmoTheGod, has also hacked the personal Twitter account of @DearShirley, one of the more prominent members of the church. The last Tweet from the real @DearShirley was made about 11 hours ago, and then this was posted about three hours ago:

    The last Tweet links to a WhiteHouse.gov petition to have the Westboro Baptist Church officially recognized as a hate group. The petition now has over 94,000 signatures which means the White House must make an official statement on it as per the rules set by the administration. Since then, the Twitter account has now just been retweeting every Tweet sent its way:

    After all of this, it seems that Anonymous has quieted down somewhat. Beyond retaining control of the @DearShirley Twitter feed, there’s not much been activity. That may change as Westboro travels to Sandy Hook for its protest. Anonymous apparently already has some plans in place to stop them from getting close to the school. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and update the story if needed.

    [h/t: CNET]