The governor said Lanza committed suicide as the first responders closed in on the Newtown, Conn., elementary school—causing speculation Lanza had an even more deadly rampage planned. His mother, who was found dead at her Newtown home nearby, died from multiple gunshot wounds, the coroner said.
Lanza blasted his way into the building and used a high-power rifle to kill 20 children and six adults, including the principal who tried to stop him, authorities said. He forced his way in by breaking a window and opened fire, authorities said. Within minutes, he killed the children, six adults and himself.
The rifle used was a Bushmaster .223-caliber, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation who was not authorized to speak about it and talked on condition of anonymity. The gun is commonly seen at competitions and was the type used in the 2002 sniper killings in the Washington, D.C., area. Also found in the school were two handguns, a Glock 10 mm and a Sig Sauer 9 mm.
All the victims at the school were shot with the rifle, at least some of them up close, and all were apparently shot more than once, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. H. Wayne Carver said. Lanza had fired “hundreds of bullets,” using multiple 30-bullet magazines in each of his guns.
The unthinkable bloodshed might even have been worse. Gov. Dannel Malloy said Lanza shot himself as first responders entered the building and a law enforcement official said Lanza had "lots of ammo" on him when he died, enough to carry out significant additional carnage. The official was not authorized to release details of the case and spoke on condition of anonymity.
"We surmise that it was during the second classroom episode that he heard responders coming and apparently at that, decided to take his own life," Malloy said on ABC's "This Week."
Lanza has since become the subject of much speculation and little substantiated information. He grew up in Newtown. His parents divorced in 2008. He lived with his mother, Nancy, in a handsome colonial house in an upscale neighborhood. Lanza's father, Peter, an executive at GE, moved to nearby Stamford and remarried. His older brother, Ryan, lives in Hoboken, N.J. Nancy was an avid gun collector.
Education officials said they had found no link between Lanza's mother and the school, contrary to news reports that said she was a teacher there. Investigators said they believe Adam Lanza attended Sandy Hook many years ago, but they had no explanation for why he went there Friday. Authorities said Adam Lanza had no criminal history, and it was not clear whether he had a job. Lanza was believed to have suffered from a personality disorder, said a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Another law enforcement official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lanza also had been diagnosed with Asperger's, a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness.
People with the disorder are often highly intelligent. While they can become frustrated more easily, there is no evidence of a link between Asperger's and violent behavior, experts say.
The tragedy has plunged Newtown into mourning and added the picturesque New England community of 27,000 people to the grim map of towns where mass shootings in recent years have periodically reignited the national debate over gun control but led to little change.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, an advocate of gun control, pressed President Obama to confront the prevalence of guns. “This should be his No. 1 agenda,” he said.
President Barack Obama, at a memorial service in Newtown, Conn. for the victims of the school shooting, said America was failing at “our first task,” to care for the nation’s children. He visited as churches opened their doors to comfort a grieving town Sunday. After a series of prayers from leaders of multiple faith traditions, President Obama addressed the families of the 26 victims. “Newtown is not alone,” Obama said. “I come to offer you the love and prayers of the nation.” The president said the nation had been “inspired” by stories of strength and resolve during the horror. “They lost their lives at a school that could have been any school, in any town in America.” Taking a political turn, Obama said he had been reflecting on whether the country is doing enough to keep its citizens safe. “The answer is no,” he concluded, “We’re not doing enough, and we will have to change.”