Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting, that happened a decade ago, left a mark on the people who lost their loved ones, on their community and throughout the country. The tragedy ranks as the fourth deadliest mass shooting in American history and the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school. The shooting sparked a renewed round of discussion on gun control in the country, leading to calls for universal background checks, new federal and state gun laws, and bans on the sale and production of some semi-automatic weapons and magazines that can carry more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

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Here’s all you need to know about the massacre that scarred the United States:

The Tragic Day:

On December 14, 2012, a shooter named Adam Lanza, then 20-years-old, opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, killing 26 people. Twenty of the casualties were kids between the ages of six and seven, and the other six were staff members who were adults.

With his mother’s Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle and 10 magazines holding 30 bullets each, Lanza broke a glass panel near to the school’s locked front entrance doors just after 9:35 a.m. Sounds of initial shootings were heard by kids and the staff and everyone started hiding. Lanza broke into classes and shot mercilessly at anyone that came in front of him.

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After calls were made to police regarding a shooting at the school, police dispatch was sent by Newport 911 line, followed by personnel from Connecticut State Police.  A bomb squad, police tactical units, a state police helicopter, and local police dogs were all deployed by the Newtown police and Connecticut State Police. 

Police secured the building and after having whooped through the school four times for the shooter and not finding one, they started taking groups of pupils and adults out of the building as they evacuated the survivors room by room. A mobile mortuary was sent by the New York City medical examiner to help the authorities.

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Twenty-six people lost their lives. While some were declared dead on the scene, the few that survived were mostly declared dead later.

Adam Peter Lanza lived five miles away from the elementary school in Newtown with his mother Nancy Lanza. His mother, who was characterised as a “gun fanatic who owned at least a dozen firearms,” enabled him access to weapons.

Before the age of three, Lanza displayed developmental difficulties. These included sensory and communication issues, delayed socialising, and repeated habits. Lanza was diagnosed with other mental illnesses as well. 

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Before he drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School, Lanza shot and killed his mother with one of her guns. After killing 20 children and 6 adults, Lanza shot himself and took his own life.

The Aftermath

Following what was then the worst school shooting in US history, then-President Barack Obama committed to advance comprehensive gun control legislation that addressed everything from gun magazine sizes to mental health.

After ten years, the Democratic president in office, Joe Biden, has reaffirmed his commitment to enacting a ban on semi-automatic weapons. A historic gun law that Biden signed into law in June came close to restoring the so-called assault weapons prohibition that had been in place prior to 2004 but fell short.

The effectiveness of this and other proposed gun control measures in preventing school shootings is still up for dispute, with arguments on both sides being made. Access limits should be made more stringent, according to proponents of gun control, while others contend that the inadequacies of the mental health system and increased safety on school grounds are of more concern.

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Sandy Hook Promise

Following the attack on Sandy Hook Elementary School, the parents and next of kins of those who died in the shooting  established an organisation in an effort to raise awareness about gun violence in America. 

The organisation, which is based in Newtown, Connecticut, aims to honor all victims of gun violence by using the grief of its founding community as a catalyst for change. Sandy Hook Promise aims to take significant steps in schools, homes, and communities to prevent gun violence and stop the sad loss of life by equipping adolescents to “know the signs” and uniting all individuals who respect the safety of children.