NEWTOWN, Conn. — A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school Friday left 27 people dead, including 18 children, an official told The Associated Press.
The gunman killed his own brother, then went to the elementary school where his mother worked and killed her and her students.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.
The shooting appeared to be the nation's second-deadliest school shooting, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, which left 33 people dead, including the gunman.
Multiple news agencies reported that the shooter was 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, a former Quinnipiac student who had a home in Hoboken, N.J. NBC News is reporting that his mother was an elementary school teacher at the school in Newtown.
NBC News said a parent of the shooter was dead inside a home
The gunman killed his own brother, then went to the elementary school where his mother worked and killed her and her students.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.
The shooting appeared to be the nation's second-deadliest school shooting, exceeded only by the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007, which left 33 people dead, including the gunman.
Multiple news agencies reported that the shooter was 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, a former Quinnipiac student who had a home in Hoboken, N.J. NBC News is reporting that his mother was an elementary school teacher at the school in Newtown.
NBC News said a parent of the shooter was dead inside a home
"The shooting in Connecticut is absolutely horrific and heartbreaking," Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said in a statement released Friday. "We know too well what impact this kind of violence has on a community and our nation. Our thoughts and prayers are immediately with the families of those killed. We can offer comfort, but we all know the pain will stay forever."
There were also unconfirmed reports of a second shooter. The principal and school psychologist were among the dead, CNN said. An entire classroom of students was unaccounted for, the Hartford Courant reported, citing unnamed sources.
"Our hearts go out to the people of Newtown," said Steve Hogan, the mayor of Aurora, where 12 people were killed and 58 wounded in a mass shooting at a movie theater there in July. "It is almost incomprehensible that an elementary school would be the site of such violence. We join the nation in praying for the victims, their families and all of those impacted by this terrible tragedy."
There were also unconfirmed reports of a second shooter. The principal and school psychologist were among the dead, CNN said. An entire classroom of students was unaccounted for, the Hartford Courant reported, citing unnamed sources.
"Our hearts go out to the people of Newtown," said Steve Hogan, the mayor of Aurora, where 12 people were killed and 58 wounded in a mass shooting at a movie theater there in July. "It is almost incomprehensible that an elementary school would be the site of such violence. We join the nation in praying for the victims, their families and all of those impacted by this terrible tragedy."
Stephen Delgiadice said his 8-year-old daughter heard two big bangs and teachers told her to get in a corner. His daughter was fine. "It's alarming, especially in Newtown, Connecticut, which we always thought was the safest place in America," he said.
The superintendent's office said the district had locked down schools in Newtown, about 60 miles northeast of New York City. Schools in neighboring towns also were locked down as a precaution.
A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher had been shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital. Andrea Rynn, a spokeswoman at the hospital, said it had three patients from the school but she did not have information on the extent or nature of their injuries.
State police said Newtown police called them around 9:40 a.m. A SWAT team was among the throngs of police to respond.
The superintendent's office said the district had locked down schools in Newtown, about 60 miles northeast of New York City. Schools in neighboring towns also were locked down as a precaution.
A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher had been shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital. Andrea Rynn, a spokeswoman at the hospital, said it had three patients from the school but she did not have information on the extent or nature of their injuries.
State police said Newtown police called them around 9:40 a.m. A SWAT team was among the throngs of police to respond.
Young children wait outside Sandy Hook Elementary School after a shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, December 14, 2012. A shooter opened fire at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday, killing several people including children, (Reuters | MICHELLE MCLOUGHLIN)
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