Elementary school shooting in Connecticut, suspected gunman dead
An adult gunman is dead, and three people are being treated at the Danbury Hospital after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.
(AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks)
Newtown, Conn.
A shooting at a Connecticut elementary school Friday left the gunman dead and at least one teacher wounded and sent frightened pupils into the parking lot.
The shooter was killed and apparently had two guns, a person with knowledge of the shooting said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.
It wasn't clear how many people were injured at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher had been shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital.
MSNBC-TV is reporting that three people have been admitted to the hospital in the wake of the shooting.
There are unconfirmed reports that the principle of the K-4 elementary school, with approximately 600 students, was targeted.
Stephen Delgiadice said his 8-year-old daughter heard two big bangs and teachers told her to get in a corner. His daughter was fine.
"It's alarming, especially in Newtown, Connecticut, which we always thought was the safest place in America," he said.
The superintendent's office said the district had locked down schools in Newtown, about 60 miles northeast of New York City. Schools in neighboring towns also were locked down as a precaution.
State police said Newtown police called them around 9:40 a.m.
A photo posted by The Newtown Bee newspaper showed a group of young students — some crying, others looking visibly frightened — being escorted by adults through a parking lot in a line, hands on each other's shoulders.
Police have scheduled a press conference at 1 p.m.
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Associated Press writer Michael Melia contributed to this report from Hartford.