This is now about Ben's brother Nate (Newtown, CT)

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Turn on the news if that city isn't familiar.

Thoughts and prayers to everyone involved. We have GWJers in that area, don't we? Is everyone okay?

Absolutely sickening. What the f*ck is wrong with this world?

Opening fire on little children... this is completely unfathomable to me.

Incredibly sad and tragic.

NBC News and Huffington Post are both running a front-page picture of this incredibly anguished woman howling into a cell phone. The media can go screw itself.

I have twin 6 year olds in school at this moment. I just want to pick them up, bring them home and never stop hugging them.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

The media can go screw itself.

I felt the same way when I saw there were links to on the scene video interviews with the elementary children. Christ.

My heart goes out to all.

Absolutely awful.
Is it just me, or have there been a lot more mass shootings this year than in the past? I feel like they just keep coming...really sad. At what point does everyone have to start living in fear?

Dysplastic wrote:

Absolutely awful.
Is it just me, or have there been a lot more mass shootings this year than in the past? I feel like they just keep coming...really sad. At what point does everyone have to start living in fear?

For me, about 10 1/2 years ago, around five seconds after my son was born. At that moment, I realized I'd never been scared in my life, and I was suddenly gripped with overwhelming, absolute terror that something would go wrong. I used to drive places and go by my kids' school, and my heart rate would pick up and I'd get anxious because I was scared I'd look over and see swarms of police cars there. Dumb as it seems, I went through a long phase where I always imagined something going horribly wrong, and I was always scared somebody would walk into their school and start shooting. I've gotten past that, or had until today, and now I'm going to be a wreck again.

The way things have gone for the last year or two, I think living in a small degree of fear is completely normal.

Budo wrote:

I have twin 6 year olds in school at this moment. I just want to pick them up, bring them home and never stop hugging them.

I saw a few ppl suggest this on Twitter and you know what? I say do just that. If you can leave work today, go. Take your kids out of school and enjoy a three day weekend with them, see The Hobbit, buy them a toy, etc.

Seriously, if you can, do it. To hell with today.

For anybody that wants updates, there's a pretty good reddit thread here. http://www.reddit.com/r/Connecticut/comments/14ufj9/breaking_school_shooting_in_newtown_ct/

So sad.

I'm not from the Newton area, but both of my parents are in the public school system in our neck of the CT woods (about an hour north of Newton by highway). I'm sure I'm going to hear a bit about this when I go home. I'm think the Newtown High School was in our football division, and their Fire Department would come our way for summer parades.

I remember people in High School were scared by Columbine when it happened. Something like this hitting closer to home is worrisome.

Very sad news

Aaron D. wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

The media can go screw itself.

I felt the same way when I saw there were links to on the scene video interviews with the elementary children. Christ.

Ugh. Freaking leeches.

Latest news is that apparently the shooter had killed his father on the way to the school, and his mother, a teacher, at the school.

Nothing like having a child in elementary school to change your perspective on something like this. Before my son I'd be shocked and tremendously outraged at this. Now I'm simply terrified.

Shooter was identified as Ryan Lanza. Yet another white male.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Shooter was identified as Ryan Lanza. Yet another white male.

20-something right? Do we have an estimate on how long until movies or games are blamed?

shoptroll wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Shooter was identified as Ryan Lanza. Yet another white male.

20-something right? Do we have an estimate on how long until movies or games are blamed?

Whatever it is, take the under, since Fox has apparently already blamed it on games.

My daughter's friend is 2 years removed from that school. We like close to an hour from Newtown but I still have friends there. One is a volunteer firefighter. Not sure if he's at the firehouse where they brought the kids they could get out. I believe his wife was volunteering at the school. Last post from him was that everyone was ok.

It's all over the news and on the TV sets here at work. My daughter is 12 and lives out of state. To me it's still too close to home! I agree with everyone who says take the rest of the day and spend it with your kids.

Tanglebones wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Shooter was identified as Ryan Lanza. Yet another white male.

20-something right? Do we have an estimate on how long until movies or games are blamed?

Whatever it is, take the under, since Fox has apparently already blamed it on games.

Because, logically, it's much likelier that mass shootings are more caused by fake guns than the real ones.

messed

The sad reality of our lives is that the fact that this shooting took place at a school is hardly even relevant anymore. Your first reaction, as a parent, is to run and pick up your kids from his/her school asap, but these days, kids (and adults) are being shot for no rhyme or reason not just at schools, but also at the movies, on mass transit, in government offices, in malls etc. Carry on, America.

Wow, drug straight into P&C on the first page of the thread. Way to show class.

Why do the sickos always have to take it out on the innocent?

People don't need guns to do evil sh*t, and that's all I'll say on that topic.

I couldn't help but make the Christmas correlation. I imagined going home and looking in my closet to the presents I bought for my niece, only after such a tragedy...

Yeah. I'm going to see if I can curl up with her and watch Muppet Christmas Carol tonight.

All I have to say is wow... and also for shame on the media for interviewing some of the obviously traumatized children.

ccesarano wrote:

Yeah. I'm going to see if I can curl up with [my daughter] and watch Muppet Christmas Carol tonight.

ditto.

nevermind

I just don't understand people.

I'm in the area and I've been listening to sirens and helicopters all day. As far as I know, no one I know lost anyone today but the tone around here has been tense to say the least.

From what I've heard, the shooter was either 20 or 24 years old, armed with four weapons including a .223 rifle, and wearing body armor. His primary target was allegedly his mother, a teacher at the school. I have no idea how much of that is accurate as details are still emerging.

MilkmanDanimal wrote:

Shooter was identified as Ryan Lanza. Yet another white male.

There's also a NY Senator named Andrew Lanza, who unfortunately produced the following campaign sign:

IMAGE(http://senatorandrewlanza.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Romney-Ryan-Lanza-300x249.jpg)

Ouch.

Apparently the Rlanza on Facebook is *not* the shooter.

Budo wrote:

I have twin 6 year olds in school at this moment. I just want to pick them up, bring them home and never stop hugging them.

Counting the seconds until I leave work and pickup my son.

What really struck me is that the children were killed execution style. 5-10 year old kids. Execution style. I have no words.

Kotaku on Fox trying to link the massacre to video games:
http://kotaku.com/5968569/fox-news-l...

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