# What the hell, another school shooting & sorry to interrupt, dark day (COMBINED THREAD)



## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Why don't these idiots just kill themselves? Why the hell do they feel the need to take someone with them? 27 people? Unbelievable. This is disgusting. Same with the moron in China stabbing kibs.


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## Christian Price (Aug 3, 2012)

If I may interrupt.  As a father to three children in elementary school.  May I ask for a moment to extend the deepest condolences as a body to the families and children of Newton Conn.  Our hearts and prayers are with you this day.  Our hearts are with you.


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

We were just watching the story on the news ! =( SOOO horrible! 
For anyone who is wondering http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/14/police-respond-to-shooting-at-connecticut-elementary-school/


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

An _unspeakable_ tragedy. I'll bite my tongue about gun laws in this benighted country.


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## Christian Price (Aug 3, 2012)

18 children shot dead.  I just thought as writers we should extend our hearts and wishes to this community.  I would suspect some of our readers have been impacted by this and we should say "our hearts and thoughts are with you"  yes, please refrain from gun conversations.  We are humans first.  My heart is breaking....children are sweet people.  My kids are their age.  They were exicted to go to school and make gingerbread houses today.  I suspect the sentiment was shared by these children.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

Next town over from me. The death toll is shocking, especially when you consider it's a bunch of small children. My heart goes out to all the parents and family members.


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/12/14/police-respond-to-shooting-at-connecticut-elementary-school/


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## vrabinec (May 19, 2011)

Between this and the idiot in China who slashed 28 kids, it's a hell of a holiday season. What the hell's the matter with these people? Why take it out on kids? If you're that ticked off, then just kill yourself and leave everyone else alone.


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## Satchya (Sep 5, 2012)

That's really all I can think about right now.  We have elementary-school children.  They are away from me right now, at school.  My gut felt punched when I heard the news on the radio this morning, while out running errands.  I cried.  I am so sorry for the parents, and the surviving children who will live with the results of this tragedy for the rest of their lives.  How could someone ever be so evil??


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## B.A. Spangler (Jan 25, 2012)

Prayers to the victims and their families.


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## 41413 (Apr 4, 2011)

And some reports are saying that it was a parent who did it.

I can't even begin to express my rage. No words.

Edited for accuracy.


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## Danielle Kazemi (Apr 2, 2011)

It's just terrible. I can't even begin to imagine what those parents are going through. My prayers and thoughts are going out to them. That's something no kid should ever have to go through.


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## Sean Patrick Fox (Dec 3, 2011)

smreine said:


> And it was a parent who did it.
> 
> I can't even begin to express my rage. No words.


Just a friendly note, I'd be cautious about posting information of this type when few details have been confirmed (especially because I believe that information is incorrect).


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## Wansit (Sep 27, 2012)

Just learning of this. Heartbroken.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

News conference going on now....and I'm going to merge this with the thread in Not Quite Kindle...

Betsy


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

This is so heartbreaking. My prayers go out for the victims and their families. I'll be hugging my babies an extra lot today.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Is it my imagination, or are mass shootings becoming more common? I mean, I know there's a long history of them, but there have just been so many in the U.S. in last few years -- since VA Tech. And there was that unbelievable one in Norway last year.

I know it's impossible in a nation with a free press, but I wish these events didn't get such tremendous coverage. The nationwide paroxysm of horror and grief that follows each one really gets the message across to sick and enraged people that this is the way to inflict maximum destruction.

We're a troubled and troubling species. There's not another species on earth that does anything like this.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

How horrible this is. All these people dead. All the families that now have to deal with this.


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Oh my.  I have had my grandson with me today, so the television was not on and I just heard this news.  Somehow it seems even more horrific because the children were so very young and whether you celebrate Christmas or not, we like to believe there is a little more "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men" at this time of year.

My heart aches for these families.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

From the New York Times:



> The gunman, who was believed to be in his 20s, walked into a classroom where his mother was a teacher. He shot and killed her and then shot 18 students in the classroom. He also shot seven other adults, and then killed himself inside the school. Various news outlets identified the shooter as Ryan Lanza. The shooting ranks among the worst in recent United States history.


I am just sick about this. As a mother, I can't even imagine what these parents are going through/will be going through. I think I would cry myself to death if this happened to me.

Do folks realize that in the English language, there is no word for a parent who has lost a child? Kids without parents are orphans and a person who has lost a spouse is a widow/widower. But parents who have lost kids? Part of me thinks it is because the experience is so tragic, we don't want to name it.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people--all the people, families, police, nurses, doctors and everyone else--in any way touched by this tragedy.

L


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

The President is going to be making a statement in 3 minutes (3:15 pm, EST).

L


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

Just read the news now, five minutes before leaving to pick up my 9-year-old from school, and I know that all of you who are parents will be hugging your kids extra tightly today when they come home.  What a horrid and senseless tragedy.


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

My heart goes out to those parents and families of the victims. Such a horrid event any time of the year, but even moreso now. Sadly, we always want to believe that school is the one place we can safely send our kids, but even it's not safe, as we've seen previously. As a parent I don't know how or if I could survive this type of situation.


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## Becca Mills (Apr 27, 2012)

Leslie said:


> Do folks realize that in the English language, there is no word for a parent who has lost a child? Kids without parents are orphans and a person who has lost a spouse is a widow/widower. But parents who have lost kids? Part of me thinks it is because the experience is so tragic, we don't want to name it.


I never thought about that, Leslie, but you're right. It's as though we could wish it away by not naming it.

Though, come to think of it ... I study 16th- and 17th-century England, and back in that day, _everyone_ lost children. Some people had many times more deceased children than living ones. Maybe there's no word for it because, back when the language was developing, everyone was in this situation.

Depressing thought on a depressing day, especially as I'm sitting here with one of my charming, chatty two-year-olds.


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## Christian Price (Aug 3, 2012)

Christian Price said:


> 18 children shot dead. I just thought as writers we should extend our hearts and wishes to this community. I would suspect some of our readers have been impacted by this and we should say "our hearts and thoughts are with you" yes, please refrain from gun conversations. We are humans first. My heart is breaking....children are sweet people. My kids are their age. They were excited to go to school and make gingerbread houses today. I suspect the sentiment was shared by these children.


20 children shot dead at this time. How does one human pull the trigger 20 times on a room full of children. My kindergartner, let me tell you. The boy has been hugged more times this past hour than at anyone point in his little life. My heart is for you parents that lost your child. There isn't a word penned under the sun that can speak or weight the grief that has visited your home. We will light a candle for you tonight in our home. *shakes his head at the state of affairs of our nation.*


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## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

To lose a child in any way would be heartbreaking, but this? I don't have words to describe this situation. My heart goes out to these families in CT. I'm not a parent but my darling nephews will get extra hugs tonight. Even though they'll squirm away.


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## Jonathan C. Gillespie (Aug 9, 2012)

This is sad, this is pathetic, this is heartbreaking. Hug your families and keep cool heads while we get all the information together.

God bless, everyone.


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

This is nothing less then heartbreaking ... those little children, babies really -- kindergarteners -- off to school on a Friday.  For some it was the middle of Hanukah, others were excited about Santa Claus and Christmas.  This is, for children, the most exciting time of the year.  And now their whole world is upside down and their little innocent bubble is gone and I'm so sad for them.  

My thoughts and prayers are the families who are in the middle of such loss and grief.  

I don't know and I'll never understand how a person can walk into a classroom of children and shoot.  It makes sick to think about it ... and so angry.


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## 41413 (Apr 4, 2011)

My son is really confused by all the hugging. I don't care, squirmy two year old, let me hold you.

Kindergartners are still practically babies. This is just so fucking sick. I can't get over it.


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## 13500 (Apr 22, 2010)

My heart goes out to the families of all the victims. So very sad...


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I volunteer at GS's High School and I heard the SRO talking about it. It just didn't sink in or maybe I didn't want to believe this is happening again. I can't imagine what these families are going through. My heart and my prayers go out to all the victims of this tragedy.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I cannot imagine how the parents are going to deal with this. Imagine how many times this town is going to have to deal with this. That class is going to be unusually small. Every promotion, every graduation there will be a reminder of this awful day. The poor parents. The poor surviving kids. The sweet souls lost well before their time. 

Excuse me while I go and stare at might sleeping little boy.


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## hsuthard (Jan 6, 2010)

Absolutely heartbreaking, it brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.


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## geniebeanie (Apr 23, 2009)

I was Christmas shopping all day and when I came home it was over the news.  My heart and prayers go out to all the children and families impacted by this horrible tradegy


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

Anyone shot is tragic. Shooting children is pathetic to say the least. The only effective way to deal with such situations is to reform the gun laws.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Just a warning, we're not going to have a gun law discussion here.  That would fall under a political discussion. Sorry.

I weep for the families...prayers to them.

Betsy


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

JRTomlin said:


> An _unspeakable_ tragedy. I'll bite my tongue about gun laws in this benighted country.


This event is just so tragic and heartbreaking for everyone involved. The families who have lost very young children, and for those children who have seen things they should never have to see.
(edited - as an Aussie there are some things I'll never understand )


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## prairiesky (Aug 11, 2009)

I am heartsick.  I taught 1st grade for 36 years.  All I can picture in my mind is the teacher trying to protect her children and the terror that those kids must have experienced.  Bless the families who lost someone.  I weep for our society...what is happening to us!


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Here is what I feel:

Maybe all of us share a little bit in the blame here.  Why?  Because we watch the coverage.  We devour it like it's candy or cake or sweets.  And the news knows that.  No self-respecting news producer would admit it, but they love when this happens.  The ratings go through the roof.  People glue themselves to the TV and the 24-hour cable news networks see their ratings climb and have easy programming for days.  And they plaster the gunman's name and face all over the place and they become famous.  And maybe that's the real problem.  Someone with a mental illness saw this as a way to get famous - to take out their problems and issues by using a gun.  Perhaps, just perhaps, if the news agencies did not plaster the gunman's name all over the place, it would help in some way.  If a disturbed person saw that they would not get famous by shooting at kids, maybe some part of their brain would cause them to find something else or maybe get help.  

I count myself in this number.  I watch just like everyone else.  But what if we all turned off the TV?  What if we didn't mention any names of the gunmen?  What if we didn't know their names and their names would not go down in history.  Maybe that would be a start and maybe, just maybe, then we could deal with some of the other issues that cause these things continue to happen.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

There is undoubtedly a bit too much "vulture journalism". Maybe it adds to these sort of events. I tend to think that the disturbed individuals probably have other goals than simply becoming famous, though.

But....


balaspa said:


> Maybe that would be a start and maybe, just maybe, then we could deal with some of the* other issues* that cause these things continue to happen.


... it's your last sentence that I think we should all be mindful of, because many of us are quick to pronounce a "fix" in one direction or another, whether it be about guns or mental health issues or larger societal problems, and we should remember that _there is no ONE easy fix_. There is no one simple cause. There is no point in bringing in politics or any specific single-issue agenda as a way to prevent such horrific events. It's so much more complex than that, sadly.


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## AshMP (Dec 30, 2009)

*Susan* amen! You said exactly what I was thinking!

In the aftermath of these tragedies everyone is looking for the box that it will fit in. They need to poke the similarities and find the common thread so that *maybe* it will never happen again. People need to make sense of senseless so it feels less scary waking up and carrying on the next morning.


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## Pushka (Oct 30, 2009)

Dealing with other issues (eg the media, adequate mental health services etc etc ) will take a very long time to have any effect.  And it is expensive.  Unfortunately, the scale of these tragedies is significantly increased by the ease in which people can obtain weapons that cause mass destruction, very quickly.  

As far as seeking explanation, these tragedies do happen over and over again in the USA.  They occur, perhaps as a once off in other countries.


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

I can't watch the news coverage.  I'm gonna read or crochet tonight without the TV.  My patients had it on CNN the whole time the past two nights, and it just about killed me to catch little snippets of that man talking about his baby daughter Emily.  I fail to see how my patients could stand to watch it over and over.  

And yes, I think people lately do try to get attention any way they can.  We value media coverage that much.  Every family should be asking themselves, why?


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I guess I'm one of "guilty" ones who is glued to the News shows - but until they figure out why this happened,  it is hard for me to think about much else.   This is the third anniversary of the death of my Mom (she was 93 when she died) and all I can think about is how much the world has changed... so much violence, so much anger..  I don't know how to fix that..  I think we need a big change in society,  in morality,  in  how to treat each other, in order for this to stop.   But how...


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I will admit then when a tragedy happens, I am normally glued to the television. I want to get all the details, the how, the why, the who... Not this time. I can't stomach watching it. I do read the news articles, but only on websites that don't have the shooters photo plastered all over it. I don't care what his name was and I wish they wouldn't publish it. 

It breaks my heart to think of those babies and their families, the first responders, the community, just everybody. I've wept and I've hugged my BRATs a little tighter. One of them is away on her first "grown-up" trip. I can't wait for her to get home. I will feel better when they are all back in the nest.


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