On Friday morning, close to 30 people were killed, including 18 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School. According to CNN, the school’s principal and psychologist were among those killed in the shooting, with one witness claiming that at least 100 shots were fired in the building. The school is located in Newtown, Connecticut, and has classes ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade.
The shooter, who has been identified by CNN as Adam Lanza, is believed to be in his 20s and had some relation to the school. The shooter was found dead in the school but officials did not say if he was killed by police or if he took his own life. He reportedly was armed with four weapons and was wearing a bullet-proof vest.
NBC News is also reporting that a parent of the shooter has been found dead inside a home in New Jersey. NBC News has also reported that the mother of the shooter was a kindergarten teacher at the school, and her classroom is where the majority of the shooting took place.
A second person was taken into custody and being questioned after being found in the woods close to the school. That person was dressed in black and camouflage pants.
“It was horrendous,” said parent Brenda Lebinski. “Everyone was in hysterics – parents, students. There were kids coming out of the school bloodied. I don’t know if they were shot, but they were bloodied.”
President Barack Obama was informed of the situation and will be updated throughout the day, according to White House spokesperson Jay Carney. “We’re still waiting for more information about the incident in Connecticut,” Carney said.
All of the schools in Newtown were placed on lockdown after the report of the shooting, according to the Newtown Public School District.
Local police, Connecticut State Police, the ATF, the FBI, firefighters and EMTs responded to the school. The first 911 call came in around 9:41 a.m. Friday morning. The town has a population of 27,000 and is located in Fairfield County, just 45 miles south of Hartford and 80 miles north of New York City.