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27 Dead In Newtown Sandy Hook School Shooting

Update, 8:30 p.m. NEWTOWN, Conn. — The families of all the victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook School in Newtown have been notified, Lt. J. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police said in a press conference broadcast Friday night. 

Outside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown after Friday's shooting.

Outside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown after Friday's shooting.

Photo Credit: Julie Curtis

Parents arrive at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., to look for their children after a gunman shot and killed 20 children and 6 adults there on Jan. 14, 2012.

Photo Credit: Julie Curtis
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and state police Lt. Paul Vance give details about the Newtown shooting at a press conference on Friday.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and state police Lt. Paul Vance give details about the Newtown shooting at a press conference on Friday.

Photo Credit: Jes Siart
Gov. Dannel Malloy at the Sandy Hook School.

Gov. Dannel Malloy at the Sandy Hook School.

Photo Credit: Melvin Mason
Photo Credit: Julie Curtis

"The families have been notified. The preliminary identifications have been made," said Vance. 

He said the names of all 27 victims could be made public sometime Saturday and police would release more details at a press conference at 8 a.m.

"It’s a horrific scene. We’ve never seen anything like this," Vance said. 

The families of the 20 children killed during the shooting at Sandy Hook School were together at a local fire station early Friday night and had each been assigned a Connecticut state trooper who will update them regularly with information on the investigation.

"They will be the first to know any progress made," Vance said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

Twenty-seven people were killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook School Friday, Connecticut Police confirmed. Vance called the school a "horrific and difficult scene."

In addition, a person found dead in a home in Newtown is connected to the school shooting, Vance said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

"There is a second crime scene here in Newtown. There is an adult deceased at that location," Vance said.

The suspect was found dead inside the school, Vance said. The gunman is being reported as 20-year-old Adam Lanza. Earlier in the day, reports incorrectly identified the shooter as his older brother, Ryan. 

News video showed Ryan Lanza being taken from his Hoboken, N.J. home in handcuffs. Someone who knew Ryan Lanza from Quinnipiac University described him as a "quiet and reserved guy." He said he had never met Adam Lanza.

Vance said several law enforcement agencies are serving search warrants as the investigation continues.

"It is not a simplistic scene," Vance said. "We're not putting a time stamp on this as to when we will complete this project."

Vance said the shootings took place in two classrooms of the school. He would not say what grades the children who were killed were in.

The FBI's crisis management team is responding to the school Saturday, Vance said, to work with first responders.

Lt. George Sinko of the  Newtown Police Department said the families were together at the local fire station near the school and had all been told about their child's fate.

"This is most definitely the worst thing we have experience here in town," he said. "We have done our best to try and comfort them."

Gov. Dannel Malloy extended condolences to the families of the victims on behalf of the people of Connecticut.

"Earlier today a number of our citizens, beautiful children, had their lives taken away from them, as well as adults whose responsibility it was to educate and supervise these children."

Malloy said the perpetrator of the crime is dead as is an individual who the perpetrator lived with.

"Evil visited this community today and it is too early to speak of recovery," Malloy said later Friday evening. 

Parents scrambled Friday morning to get the school. Adam Dunford, whose eight-year-old daughter is a third grader at the school, was at work in Jefferson Valley, N.Y. when he got the robo-call from the school district saying the schools were on lockdown.

He called the school back but couldn't get through. He called the police, learned there had been a shooting and set off for the 35-mile drive.

"I drove as fast as I could, breaking every speed limit there was, Dunford said. "It was a horrifying drive to get there. I was listening to all the different reports, some said it wasn't too bad and others said it was really bad."

Dunford's daughter had been led out of the school by her teacher and was safe and waiting for him at the firehouse.

Joe Wasik, of Newtown, said his daughter Alexis, 8, a third grader, was shoved into a closet by her teacher trying to keep her safe during the shooting. 

 

His daughter saw someone on the ground in handcuffs. 

 

While speaking to a reporter, Wasik broke up into tears as a man and woman passed by crying hysterically.

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