Sandy Hook School Shooting

In the space of several minutes, Adam Lanza, armed with two handguns and a rifle, killed 20 elementary school children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The shooter then committed suicide as police arrived. Prior to the school shooting, Lanza killed his mother while she slept at their home. In total, 27 people were killed and two were wounded.  —Sandy Hook Advisory Commission;  FBI, Active Shooter Incidents

Date of event: December 14, 2012

Impact:

The tragic event heightened growing concerns about school security and gun control laws.

Related Resources:

• Final Report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission

• Shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School: Report of the Office of the Child Advocate

• Appendix to Report on the Shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and 36 Yogananda St., Newtown, Connecticut On December 14, 2012

CRS Reports:

• Mass Murder with Firearms: Incidents and Victims, 1999-2013 [July 30, 2015]

• Gun Control Legislation

NPS Theses:

• Middle Ground on Gun Control

• Analysis of a Multi-disciplinary Approach to Gun Misuse and the Need for a Paradigm Shift in Terminology

HSDL Featured Topics: School Violence | Active Shooters

HSDL Search Results: “Sandy Hook” | school shooting.

Photo: Young runners support the Sandy Hook community. (Credit: Aviano AFB)