In this post, I will be describing the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. For a little context - In October of 2012 I had landed my first job as a journalist for a New England news paper (primarily based out of Massachusetts). I forget the exact date, but it was only a few days before the shooting when I traveled down to Fairfield County in a small town called Bethel. A story had broke about a local kidnapping in MA; in which the perpetrator's family had resided in Bethel, CT. This was what many could call "my big break". I traveled with a woman, only a couple years older than me. We were unfortunately unsuccessful in an attempt to get a statement from the man's family. On Friday morning, 12/14/2012, at roughly 12:00 p.m. we began our trip back home. I remember my colleague turning on the radio hearing reports of a New Jersey man killing his fiancé at a school in Newtown; not far from where we were. We continued on our trip north (not listening to the radio any longer) when I received a call from my boss. There had been a horrible massacre at Newtown involving the killing of at least ten children and the suspect was still alive. Looking back, we know this information was incorrect. My colleague and I took the next exit and from where we were traveled south to Newtown. We arrived at the scene at 1:30 ish. I will never forget the sight I saw. Two fireman wearing their black pants with stripes and just a plain shirt on were escorting nearly fifteen children towards a firehouse down the street. At this time, the FBI was not there and would only arrive later at 10:00 p.m. During this time, families begun to receive word if their children were alive or dead; what no family should ever have to go through. We took photographs from driveways across the school as we were not allowed entry. Connecticut State Police were only allowing media that had access through the state's policy of endangerment of children act. We were able to interview one family, a father in search of his daughter. His wife was being held in a tent set up for parents deemed unfit to be around children in pain, to save them from more trauma. More than 50 people were held in this tent given counselors and food and drink. I later learned that his daughter, Avielle, passed away in that tragic incident. In my almost ten year career of journalism I have never seen a sight like I did that day. I am still haunted by sights I saw that day. The main goal of this post I have set is to
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As far as I know, these people even have a movement about it and have been prosecuted, but I don't understand why they deny what happened, which seems to me to be documented.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting
When I think of my own children being there that day, it makes me want to vomit. Horrific no matter what, but having children that age, and thinking of the how the parents must feel today truly brings me physical pain.
