Judith,
It is a coping mechanism called “black humor”—actually quite healthy.
Also, many of us nontheists find the last sentence of GCL’s comment, if not offensive exactly, at least a nonsequiter (sp?).

your prayers will not help these people.

Sally G and g6d6p6 I am sorry you do not believe in the power of prayer. It is a comfort to those who believe.
People say why did God let this happen. He gave all people a free will. Some do good and others like this lunitic do bad things
No one knows why things happen.
We pray for the souls of the little ones, who are now angels.
We pray for there families to have peace and go on.
My prayers are with them.

JoAnn,
I agree that it is a comfort—at times like this I sort-of wish that I was a believer; it seems that it would make things easier, somehow. Instead, I am left with a deep sadness and the love of my family and friends—which can also be comforting. There is also the knowledge that this is a human problem, both human-made and up to us to solve as best we can.

JoAnn why did God ignore the years of prayers from 20 families that they made on behalf of this 20 murdered children?

Such condescending posts from the atheists here. Ninety percent of Americans believe in God, it would be nice if you could accept that and have some courtesy for people who believe differently from you.

Cara C, 20% of Americans are atheists. That is double the number of 10% in 1990. You ought to pray to god for him to stop the growth of atheism. LOL! Like he could. Where was god when 50 to million people were killed in WWII? Is god so powerless he couldn’t kill Adolph Hitler before the first innocent was killed? Is god so powerless he couldn’t cause Adam Lanza’s guns to jam? How is an all-powerful loving God ignoring all these massacres?
Oh, god was invented by a bored shepherd almost 3,000 years ago. Maybe we need to get back to our religious roots and worship the one great god – Apollo the loving god.

My god. Everyone who commented on this post should be ashamed of themselves. You took a horrifying massacre and used it to make a cheap point. If you don't believe in prayer that is just great but please don't use the murder of 20 innocent children to prove a point. Get over yourselves

@JoAnn Soyka-Plante, prayers may give you comfort but those you are 'praying' for won't get that comfort. They've lost loved ones and no amount of prayer will bring comfort to them.If you have not lost a child you would not understand.

just because you own a gun dont mean you go out and kill ppl

Guns do make the killings more efficient. Similarly, rocket launchers, missiles, nuclear weapons also make killings more efficient. Luckily not everyone is allowed to have them for now.

You can make all the gun laws there is do have. BUT, the crazies will always find a way

Chicago has the toughest gun laws, and the gangs get guns easy as going to the store

The problem is there is a black market for everything. Sick individuals will always find a means to their end. Yes, gun control and beefed up school security may help a bit, but I believe more needs to be invested in mental health services and eliminating the stigma of seeking help. If this were the case, maybe that kid could have sought help and found a better solution to whatever his issues were. Sick people will always be out there and will always have sick ways of living...its what we do to help them that matters so we can prevent them for carrying out tragic plans like this.

@BRER-You said it yourself, he was a lunatic. If he didn't have a gun he would've found someother way to kill.

Jessica, very good comment.

Largest school massacre carried out without any guns at all...It is more than possible to kill without guns.

What is necessary to make people see that the focus should be more on our social structure and how we are living.
What happens when you take away the guns you can get from honest, trusting citizens, is that you make them the next easiest prey for predators.
The next thing that happens will be the death of law enforcement officers as they are slain for their weapons. It is the concept of the gun grabbers that the TOOL is the problem. If this were the case, we should be outlawing bicycles and automobiles. If the slayers move onto say, crossbows, we outlaw certain trees!
The first question on my mind is what can we do to reduce child fascination with killing? How about we reign in the action games that have let pure unadulterated gore go unsuppressed. Someone said this kid had mental problems. So, why hasn't HHS, taken an avenue to interfere in the social behavior and care of these demented people? WHO is going to step up to the plate with this concern; and then, WHO is going to attempt to do something about it?
It is just sooooo much easier to blame the object, in this case, the gun.

That's it. The answer to guns is more guns. I am not anti-gun but this comment is just plainly without thought or reason.

Why is that, John? Just because it is not what you believe to be the solution?

Or at least have an armed guard in every school. Our children are too precious to be defenseless, open game for the mentally ill.

We need to have an armed personnel or a cop in every school and everybody have to be ID'ed before they enter the school. Lifes are shattered in a second because of some lunatic.

we need armed guards at the entrance of every school and keep the back locked one entrance only banks have guards and jewerly stores should'nt our kids be protected better than money or jewerely come on protect the babies of the us they deserve protection more than anything inthe world because they are the future

No, we need to have better gun control. I own guns and am willing to give them up. To much senseless killings. I'm afraid that the NRA has gone out of control and no longer speak for me.

I am a teacher who would not want to have a gun in my classroom - it would do more harm than good in my case because I am not a good shot, am 4'11, and could be easily overpowered.

Schools need to be locked up so that no one can enter without reason during the school day. Why was this man able to walk into an elementary school in the first place?

Having a armed guard or cop at a school will only mean that there will always be a gun available for no good.

Oh yeah, let's have shootouts in public schools. Do you think this is like the movies where the bad guys are always bad shots and Clint Eastwood always gets a clean shot off? Real life is not like the movies. (Hobbits aren't real either.)

true but they should bring prayer back into schools too

Who said anything about automatic weapons???? Anyone who would target children, with any weapon, is the damn problem. Don't you think?

My prayers to the families of these innocent people and the children.

I agree 100% no one needs an automatic weapon. For those who want to bear arms for hunting and protection a rifle that shoots one bullet at a time is sufficient. These mass killings would hopefully stop.

@lisa gray: there is a news story also out today about a crazed individual in China who stabbed 20 plus children, also in an elementary school. Should China ban knives? The issue here is a crazed individual, not the weapon he used. There is an old saying: "outlaw guns, and only the outlaws will have guns". There is a lot of truth to that old saying. This person was intent on causing harm, and having maximum media attention.. That is why they target schools, malls, movie theaters, etc. The non-stop media attention fuels this type of behavior. If he did not have a gun, he would have driven a car into the school, burned it with gasoline, blew it up, poisoned the food, or any other number of methods to cause grave bodily harm and death. Guns are not to blame, the crazed individual is.

Any firearm, be it a bolt action, semi-automatic or handgun, would do the same amount of damage. It is not the gun, or the tire iron, or the baseball bat, it is the person wielding it that needs to be eliminated.

@slyfox1961: and all of those people in China are going to survive. Why? Because he didn't have a gun.

Automatic weapons are not legal

SlyFox, the knife argument that was probably started by the NRA, is absolutely ridiculous. Japan had 48 deaths due to guns last year, the US had almost 11,000. To compare knives to guns is silly, but you know that.

Yes, and apparently the alleged gunman is from Hoboken :(. And he killed his father here before leaving to target his mother in Newton's school.

The shooter isn't from Hoboken NJ..that's his brother in Hoboken NJ..they had wrong name law enforcement first time... the shooter is Adam Lanza who lives in Connecticut age 20.

His brother lives in Hoboken NJ.. Ryan Lanza age 24

Did you read the headlilne, even? It was Ryan’s brother, if anyone—the shooter is dead, the Newton Police are not releasing his identity formally, but Ryan from Hoboken is very much alive, and nowhere near Connecticut—and railing, quite properly, the media who misidentified him. BTW, S, the body at the home, which is not in Hoboken, has not been identified, even preliminarily.

Everyone should be armed. Lets see how many psychos enter a mall, movie theater, or school knowing everyone else is armed.

To Who is John Galt and Booner--

Both comments are sick. Is that what passes for even a semi-logical thought process--to turn our country into the OK Corral or Dodge City?

Might as well give guns to the little kids too, while you're at it. After all, it's only a wee bit of a progression from your thought processes. Or is that crossing the line for even you?

That guy in Atlas Shrugged?

Same BS was said after Aurora. The solution to easy access to guns IS NOT more guns.

My God, can you imagine what chaos would take place if everyone carried guns? What a preposterous and dangerous idea.

GUNS DONT KILL PEOPLE...PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE! IF THE PRINCIPAL HAD ACCESS TO A WEAPON, THIS PSYCHO MAY NOT HAVE MADE IT PAST THE FRONT OFFICE!!!! I AGREE THAT IT IS TIME TO ARM THE TEACHERS!!!

Doris,

And people without guns have to get into other people's faces in order to kill them. And, though the massacre in Newtown might not have been prevented if Lanza was carrying a baseball bat or knife, there would have been fewer deaths because he wouldn't have had the opportunity to have 15 or 17 bullets in a magazine and been able to shoot from a distance or strafe the room. He would have been subdued well before that.

A gun is the coward's way out. And, I'd love to hear what tune you'd be singing if, God forbid, one or more members of your family get shot. Yeah, let's turn this country into Dodge City. We'll have a grand old time. You're sick.

New Jersey schools are required to run monthly drills for various scenarios, including this one. Glen Rock schools and police work very closely together and have detailed plans which they have practiced and shared with other districts. Sad that this is necessary. This incident is so horrific, we are all sharing the grief of the Ct. parents....

And this is important info? Guns don't kill people, people kill people. What's next, outlaw kitchen knives?

@valerie: So what? Good for them and the NRA. I am an NRA member. Does that mean I am going to shoot someone? If someone wants to kill, they have other means besides guns. In case you didn't know, automobiles kill more people in the US than guns. I don't see your list of congess people who lobby for the automakers. Should we also ban cars?

Valerie, Would you then ban all types of poisons, gasoline ,fertilizer products that can be made explosive and on and on...I see the problems as starting in the Home, and if an individual isn't/can't be encouraged and educated to express and practice ,empathy,and such ...perhaps Parents should /could/enroll / report their child and /for Psychological evaluations ....and have further analysies to catagorize their needs and level of threat they may be prone to ......Parents have Responsibilities ,if they cannot/won't assume the better route for their own -have an Agency,of sorts-perhaps similiar to the Drug Courts-which have had remarkable successes in some venues ...what do you think,Valerie ? Michael Sissler

Valerie,

What a dispicable thing to do. Use a tragedy to score political points. Why not put up a list of all politicians who are supported by Hollywood, the makers of violent movies and shows or the video game makers who have made billions off of violent games that they promote to kids. Bettert yet, get a list of all the parents who have bought those games for those kids.

Ok, I'll remember to vote for them next election Valerie!

@enough already wrote: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people."

True, but guns don't die, people do !

Thank you, Valerie. I don't want to support any politicians who are gun freaks, and that's what the NRA is.

Enough already,

Guns don't kill people...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. That's the same hackneyed crap we've been hearing for years from the NRA.

People like Lanza without guns have to get into people's faces to kill them; they don't have to take the coward's way out and shoot people from a distance with multi-round clips.

So, while Newtown might not have been prevented, it certainly would have been mitigated.

Let me ask you (and let's see if you have the guts to answer): Unless you're police, military, a hunter who eats what he kills or a collector, what exactly do you need your gun for? It's only purpose--ONLY PURPOSE--is to threaten, maim and kill. So, go ahead and answer.

The media misidentifying the shooter affects the gentleman who was so misidentified; apparently his brother was the culprit and also killed himself in the process, and that is enough to deal with, let alone the death of his mother—it is irresponsible journalism, and CNN, who it seems was the first to report then name incorrectly—should be held to account.

my prayers for the families of the victims and to the family of the gunman ( They didnt committ the crime). Just remember even though we want violence to end, guns dont kill people, people kill people. There are acts of violence during the biblical times.

What other way to kill 27 people? Bare hands? A knife?

@Nancy Duggan: Not to give anyone ideas, but there are many ways to cause multiple casualties with a single act. One thing that come to mind is gasoline. I'm sure others can think of other ways to create large scale damage without the use of a gun.

Half of what you said is the smartest thing I've heard all day. What do people think, that Ms. Jones, Ms. Fairlie, Ms. Skavron in Sunnymead are gonna be carrying guns now? Armed Security is needed. The other half well, you're not gonna kill 27 people with a knife before people run away from you or you get tackled.

I do not know; I am not so thrilled with little children living in a police state; armed guard? Not so sure that is the best solution, though we must take security seriously. Of course, it would be likely to be easier for a teacher’s son to get past security than for a stranger; just makes it worse somehow.

@Nancy Duggan= I guess you forgot about Timothy McVeigh. He killed 168 people w/o a gun.

Nancy, the largest school massacre in history was carried out without a gun.

See: Bath School Massacre, Michigan (1927)

To: Nancy Duggan,

The largest mass murder (besides 9/11) that has ever occurred in the US did not involve a single bullet or a gun. It occurred at the Happyland Social Club in NY City on Sept 19,1991 in which 87 innocent people were killed. The weapon used was a few gallons of gasoline. The lone perpetrator was Julio Gonzalez, a 37-year-old Cuban immigrant.
No outcry followed this event to ban the sale of gasoline, but today Bloomberg has called for massive gun bans while these victims' bodies were still warm. Pity he doesn't have the decency to pretend to at least share in a period of mourning before turning this tragic event into fodder for his rabid political antigun agenda. He certainly has no need to own a gun since he is surrounded by a cadre of armed bodyguards wherever he goes, unlike the overwhelming majority of NYC and NJ residents who are forbidden to possess tools for personal defense.

bronxda.nyc.gov/information/scases/scase12.htm

Ooh, those dastardly republicans (sarcasm). Maybe a law is needed the makes parents start looking at what their children are reading, the video games they are playing, the friends they hang out with, what they have in their closets or under their beds and where they are late at night. Without this law, you too might be creating a child that does horrible things like this piece of dirt did.

Or lets look at all those Democrats who've been elected by money from Hollywood, the makers of all the violent movies that desensitize all the kids to violence and hate and more often glorify violence under the slogan "freedom of speech". I believe the current administration was the main beneficiery of that support. The point being that there is plenty of blame to go around on both sides. No need to use the tragedy to score political points.

Yes, since guns will be allow here.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/12/14/1337551/michigan-guns-classroom/

Day Before Connecticut Shooting Massacre, Michigan Legislature Passed Bill Allowing Guns In Classrooms

..and they've anticipated the guard ,so neutralize he/she first ...then what are you going to do ?..Mike Sissler

Good point.

Yes, yes, yes! Heard Michael Moore talk about making Bowling for Columbine, he said he thought that he was going to be making a pro-gun-control film, but the further in he got, the more he realized that, as he said, “guns don’t kill people, Americans kill people”. He went through a number of countries, all with similarities to the U.S.A.—Canada shares popular culture; Japan shares violent video/comics; Britain shares broken families, etc.—none have the number of murders, the mass attacks (only exeception I can think of is the Norwegian man a year or so ago). Somehow, something in our culture makes “I’ll kill him/her” seem a solution to a problem, whereas it is not seen that way elsewhere. That is something we need to look at as a society, and try to resolve.

@jenn: Ageed. And while we are at it, lets add drinking while intoxicated, and distracted driving to the list. Oh.. and theft, murder, and kidnapping too. Then the world will be much safer.

This was a sarcastic remark, right? Heroin and meth ARE already illegal.

Yes, John, both Jenn’s and slyfox1961’s comments were sarcastic, and make a good point—see my comment above.

How about preventing easy access to guns and outlawing automatic weapons? Are machine guns etc really necessary t go hunting?
And maybe, just maybe helping people get help for their mental problems before another one slaughters children and destroys families?

johnozed,
Good, sensible suggestions.

Automatic weapons are pretty close to illegal already.

I am proud of the pro-gun enthusiasts for focusing on my Swiftian question regarding machine guns and hunting while totally ignoring in the same comment my desire for easier access to mental healthcare.
It IS more important to correct a comment regarding your stupid guns than trying to understand and prevent something as heinous as this from happening again.
Don't forget to renew your subscriptions to Guns & Ammo magazine.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is an excellent program aimed at the right target. "Gun Control" however is ineffective. The NRA is protecting the 2nd amendment from folks like you who use instances like this to exploit the victims for your own purpose.

NJarhead,
Absolutely right.

A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, because we're always under the threat of the free state being attacked by the British.
If only Charlton Heston were alive today to host an NRA convention in Connecticut.

actually, I suspect a lot of pepper-sprayed occupiers are concerned about law enforcement having too much of an imbalance of weaponry. I have never been in such a situation, but do feel that the constitution was designed to keep that balance.

Those really culpable for these casualties are the parents of this monster. They raised him and are therefore responsible for their creation. Do you know where your children are right now?

A truly sad event, but let's not get carried away. There are millions of school children in the US, and thankfully this is a very rare event. There is no reason to believe that children everywhere are in danger.

I'm sure people pray for children's safety every day. Doesn't help, does it? Maybe we should look at other avenues. This was a truly sick individual and an armed guard at the school would have been the first target.

What would you suggest? Do not mean to be disrespectful any way, but there is really no way of protecting anyone without fail other than staying in a closed room, at home with trusted others who do not have a breakdown of some sort.

John S, you are so right about a guard being a target—and a successful action against the guard would put ANOTHER gun in the hand of the criminal.

Alright, two guards?

Dad from Springfield....Be glad you were not married to his JO mother who owned the guns..or he would have shot you up in the backyard. Stop and Think.... Who taught him about guns. The Holy Spirit. He was a sick mother and probably his whole family knew about him and just avoided him. His father must have bad genes too.

My thoughts exactly.

So true.

there are police in the schools, they are called School Resource Officers. They are usually placed in the high school. It is however easier said than done. The governor and most people of nj believe that public officials including police make too much money. Police were laid off because the towns could no longer afford to pay them. The governor with his 2 % tax cap makes it difficult for towns to higher extra cops. they are only placing those who retire. Would you accept a significant tax increase to higher more cops? If so, then tell Christie.

Jenn,
You are absolutely correct. The crazies and evil people will still manage to get their hands on guns no matter what. Or they will use bombs or toxic gases.

Absolutely not. That would cause more problems. Imagine an unstable kid who is admonished, who knows what would happen if he/the class overpowered the teacher. Awful, AWFUL idea.

Bumper sticker philosophies are the best.

@heather: Do you honestly believe that this sick individual would not have committed this heinous act because he would have been afraid of violating a gun law? Seriously? Did you ever think that maybe if the teachers would have been able to have a concealed carry permit, and were able to carry a concealed weapon on them, that perhaps one of the teachers or school personnel would have been able to stop the perpetrator before he was able to kill so many people? Just sayin'.

What these mass murderers have in common is mental illness. The weapons they choose are a secondary consideration,

I agree we should rethink our gun policy in New Jersey and allow non-discretionary concealed carry. That would allow law-abiding citizens to defend themselves where ever they may be. We don't need to arm teachers. We need to allow all law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons anywhere. We have to stop providing target-rich, risk-free environments (like gun-free school zones) for these mad men. As has been pointed out in other similar circumstances, the presence of one, armed law-abiding citizen might have prevented most of this carnage.

What these mass murders ALSO have in common is mental illness.

Agreed, Heather, it would not work; slyfox1961, did you see the earlier post (I believe it was to this article) from a 4'11" teacher saying he/she would be easily overpowered, not a good shot, and not liking the idea of a gun in the classroom—seeing it more as an added danger than a safeguard.

What a shame you feel the necessity to label those who propose gun regulations "fools" and "idiots", making it impossible to have a civil discussion. Would your vitriol also apply to one of the grieving Connecticut families?

so agree!!!

Patricia,
Agreed about 90%; would not use the terms fools or idiots, or endorse your last two sentences. Think your comments about foreign policy show a certain lack of sophistication on that subject. But the main thrust of your comment, about the constitutional right to own guns, I agree with 100%

Sally G - I find your comment that my last two sentences show a lack of sophistication concerning foreign policy very amusing. My statement did not reflect my opinion of our government's foreign policy, but rather my attitude towards the fools who think that because they are "intellectuals" and civilized, our barbaric enemies will react in the same way they would to certain stimuli and entreaties. While I do appreciate you agree with 90% of my comments, I find your statement on the remaining 10% to be inaccurate.

Nancy Dugan,
Why would my labeling those who propose gun regulation as fools and idiot prohibit me from having a civil discussion? And I am find your reasoning to then attribute those same feelings towards the families of the victims to be weak and sophomoric at best. My heart goes out to the families who lost a child or relative in this tragedy, and your statement to the contrary is slanderous and immature.

O.K., but I still do not think that we should immediately go into every—or even most—situations with a militaristic response, which I see as way to prevalent in our foreign policy. As we cannot simply extend olive branches, neither can we just assume that certain groups solely “mean to destroy us”. Most people simply want good lives for themselves and their families; where it gets complex is where (a) different cultures do not understand one another, and try to covert each other, especially if done by force, and (b) where economic interests of two groups are in direct conflict. Still do not appreciate the tone of the last 2 sentences.

If you really think an individual with a gun would stand up to a govt that is dictatorial as you say then it is you who is delusional and not those you put down. Maybe in the age of muzzle loading guns an individual might make a difference; today the govt has unlimited resources and weapons. I'll also bet that you oppose the EPA and your breath of ''fresh'' air might not be so fresh.

No, not so many, but your point about the teachers who did so well in protecting their students, the principal who apparently turned on the loudspeaker, alerting many that something bad was happening, should indeed be honored, and we must remember the good as well as the bad, as you say.

What about all the guns already on the streets? Even with stricter rules and regulations, determines folks will find a way to get what they need to inflict harm.

JP,

Sadly, it's too late for gun control. We can thank the NRA for that.

Here's the math. It's simple algebra:

There are approximately 300 million guns within our borders (assuming the 89 guns per 100 population to be correct). Getting rid of 90% of them, if that were indeed possible, would still leave 30 million. Even 99% would leave 3 million, still far too many of an object whose sole purpose is to threaten, maim and kill. At least you can use a knife to cut your meat and butter your bread. What the hell are you going to do with a gun, open cans?

Let's assume that one one-hundreth of a percent (0.01%) of the people in this country have enough screws loose to do a Newtown, Columbine, Virginia Tech or Aurora. OK, some of those are already locked up. But that number still equals 30,000.

Combine 300 million guns with 30,000 certifiable looney tunes and this country is an extremely scary place. And yet some people want to go to sleep at night with their guns and will only have them pried away from their cold, dead hands.

Time to find a more peaceful place while the gun lovers live in their Dodge Cities.

I could not find the Facebook page for the right Adam Lanza, who seemingly was the shooter.

Brad, I'll bet you asked god to stop this madness the past ten massacres we've had. Hasn't helped has it? Maybe god has a plan for this that he/she is not sharing with us mere mortals.

And who is going to pay for this added ''protection''? NO MORE TAXES!

clearly this guy does not feel loved and with the easy access to legally obtaining guns, he finds a way to show his feelings.

There is no way in hell that once guns are banned that guns can be obtained as easily as now. With easy access to guns legally like now, there is no barrier when someone becomes impulsive or deranged.

GUNS MUST BE BANNED.

Having two parents working does not prevent parents passing on values. It if all about how you use the time you have.

We know nothing about the environment the shooters were raised in.

Brer,
I cannot imagine why you would believe that to ban guns would magically make them go away. Just as criminals/crazies obtain them now, they would do so even after banning guns completely. Liberals and "progressives" just want to weaken this country and have us all be simple minded fools, easily dictated to and manipulated.

@jenn: Yeah! There is someone else with rational thought here.

I remember when friend said her husband made her go to the range to learn how to use a gun.

Why? He is a cop and a gun would be in the house (locked up) but he believed it is dangerous for her not know how to safely use a gun.

A gun in the hands of someone not trained and prepared (will they freeze up and give someone a chance to disarm them?) to use it is very dangerous.

exactly right. this is not a "problem" to react to. It is a tragic situation to be mourned.

Agreed, Jenn.

"...schools are STILL the safest place anyway for children PERIOD. Statistically the odds of your child being in a school shooting are infintestly small."

Yeah, tell that to the parents of those dead children at Sandy Hook, Columbine and Virginia Tech.

They don't know you. They won't hear the prayers. Prayers won't bring their loved ones back. And, finally, prayer will not console them.

without wanting to respond to what could well be a trolling comment, is certainly discriminatory, and taking your bias as not a bias—what happens when the theoretical violent man takes that gun away from the defending woman? Right, more injury death—this is about way more than guns.

Really,,,please tell us how you can get an illegal gun. Are you just saying it or you have really experienced it?!

How many shcools are there in the US, and how many of those schools have had shootings? Is there really a problem, or is everyone over-reacting to an incredibly tragic event? There is a much greater chance of a tornado hitting your house and killing your kids, but how many of you parents are calling to have a storm shelter installed in your yard?

Brer,
Just recently, a man whose car broke down on the GSP was found to have dozens of stolen guns in the car. I would assume he planned on selling them. Are you that naive to think Patti Urbano was saying she had experience purchasing a gun illegally? Or is this just your way of being cutely sarcastic?

Dave it thought the same thing,yea we know guns dont kill people blah blah blah
Its a horrible tragedy and just keeps getting worse from what i hear..

It is sad that many people are not expressing on Patch anything for the families of the victims. But I think after learning of the brutality of this crime, people are lashing out their anger over these horrific losses by attacking laws. They need time to process this carnage of innocent children. It is not imaginable.

@Ric: Many people have expressed sympathy for the families. Will it really matter?

Slyfox - if we stop caring, what would we have left?

Ric,
I think you are right;
Dave,
of course we need to care, whether we are able or ready to express that concern;
slyfox1961,
It will help just as much as ranting about guns—not at all, except, perhaps, the person posting the comment.

@bob andres: Who said that? No one that I am aware of. Dimwits? Really? Because we realize that banning guns wont stop sick people from killing? How is the ban on drugs, drunk driving, rape, murder, theft, kidnapping, extortion, ID theft, car jacking, bribery, armed robbery, domestic violence, etc., etc., working out. Huh? Who is the dimwit now.

Many kids are already armed with illegally obtained guns. More useless rules won't help.

Useless rules? So what is your solution? More guns to fight too many guns?

And how do you propose to get the guns out of the thugs in the inner city 'hoods?

The gun was invented for the sole purpose of killing people. It worked.
Also, in 1949 Howard Unruh killed 13 people in Camden, so your "30 years or so" is off by half.

Most atrocities are carried out in the name of God. Maybe you missed 9/11 but I didn't
Adolph Hitler was a Roman Catholic and certainly would'nt have gotten very far had he been leading a bunch of Atheists.He was the absolute leader (Fuhrer ) of a Christian nation.One Atheist that he failed to convince was Albert Einstein who fled the country. Hiro Hito was a living God in Japan and look what happened! .People who committ random acts of murder like Lansa aren't organised by any religion, nor are they Atheists, they are just mentally unbalanced ( Insane).Also all prayer is a waste of time, there is no evidence that prayer has any effect on the outcome of anything. There is not even a single shred of evidence that there is a God. There is "Faith" but it is common knowledge that "faith" is not rooted in evidence. The only way to stop massacres like this has nothing to do the immaginary Sky God, Faith or prayer but has more to do with getting the Mental hospitals opened back up (the ones that were closed down during the Reagan administration( That would be a good start. J. Copeland (American Atheists)

Bravo, Jim Copeland.

Thank you Jim Copeland. Well put.

I do not fear any god and I do not kill people.

So Charles Manson, Gary Ridgeway, Ted Bundy, and John Wayne Gacy all killed in the name of religion? Your wrong Jim.

Yeah everyone knows it was MK Ultra! Google it!

I don't fear god, and I'm pretty sure my family values are just fine and I'm not about to go shoot up a school. And I'm against gun control, for the record.

I think the turning of the holiday lights is nice idea.

I will be lighting a candle.

And when you get up in the morning have breakfast with them and don't turn the TV on; talk with them, engage them in conversation.

And if you're Jewish don't light your candle for tonight. And if you're of another faith; well, you get the idea.

sadly true. . .

The person that said he was on his way home is the shooters brother. He was incorrectly identified by CNN as the shooter. The media would rather be first then correct.

HEAR, HEAR!

People did this before social media. Remember the BTK killer who would send in things to newspapers, or the Ronald Reagan shooter, etc.

They just identified the body in the Newtown home as the mother; she was a teacher at the school, but was not killed there.

That's also the problem Nancy, there are not enough people who pray. Not enough people who fear God, authority, or parents. Fly with the angels little babies. My heart cries for you all and your devastated parents.

Let me know how that works out.

Praying will neither bring back the dead nor solve the larger societal problem—of which gun control is only one part.

Jim Copeland get off the prayer soapbox and leave those who want to pray alone. Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union was a devout atheist who annihilated 40 million of his own people and displaced millions others. His atheist successors were not much better. Let's not forget the mass annihilation during in the 1950s & 60s under the Chinese Communists/Atheists. People who use religion in their grieving process or to express sorrow do not derserve to be scorned any more than those who use non religious means to express their sorrow. Whatever works. Your use of this horror to promote your personal atheist agenda is disgusting.

Mike Huckabee, Brian Fischer and others of their ilk all use the thought that since prayer is not allowed in school, their god allowed this to happen. Those devout believers are truly disgusting. Using this tragedy to further their goals should condemn them to their hells.

what are we praying for....more mf to kill.? You all missed the boat years ago and now you have created monsters. INCEST>>>CATCH IT>>>>

@SK, Joe Stalin was a Communist. Whether he was an atheist we don't know. Before he joined the Communist party he was seminarian studying for the priesthood.
@Donna, I pray that you see the light and give up your views on guns.

Rot in Hell? seriously? that's not a responsible thing to say. I have sent my prayers...did you?

It's perfectly reasonable to discuss gun regulation after the murder, by gun, of at least 27 people, your sweet Christian suggestion that people "rot in hell" notwithstanding.

The children and adults are dead. Prayers will not bring them back. And prayers will not console those who lost loved ones.

John S, you are right about the ineffectiveness of prayer—not sure that gun control is the lone answer, either—might or might not be a part, but as others have pointed out, many criminals get their hands on illegal guns. This is a complex situation that needs more thought and discussion than on a single discussion board of a single article.

Have some decency and try to prevent anymore children being murdered instead of praying to some bronze age sky god.

What kind of scum bag speaks out against prayer at a time like this? Regardless of your beliefs.

People are understandably upset with the slaughter and would like to prevent such a thing happening again, perhaps moving forward in small increments. It's not selfish and it is certainly not shortsightedness. In fact it is probably looking quite a ways down the road rather than closing eyes with hands clasped praying to some deity and murmuring incantations that have no real effect on anything.
Other people will feel free to call some people scumbags if they do not correspond with how they feel about prayer.

Well said, Journey.

+1, Journey and Nancy Duggan

Lay off the Drugs.

Sorry to disappoint, I don't do drugs.

Jim Copeland
You might not believe in God or a higher being, but have the decency to let people mourn for those killed in the way that gives them peace. While you might feel intellectually superior because you do not believe in "hocus pocus" many Americans do. So get over yourself.

The largest school massacre in US history was carried out withou a gun.

*without

Maybe there's a reason the Chinese government is able to subject its citizens to its authoritarian practices....

Developmentally disabled/mentally challenged is not the same as mentally unstable. In this case, there was something clearly—what can I say?—unbalanced—in the younger Mr. Lanza.

For a moment there I thought the gun control debate would be the most offensive thing I would read today. It is beyond my cognitive abilities to imagine a God who would kill 5 year olds as retribution for the separation of church and state. I am very sad that there are people who actually believe this.

That type of god is worthless and useless. A god that does nothing since prayer is not allowed in PUBLIC schools (where not everyone believes in the same thing if at all) is ridiculous and certainly not proactive.
Perhaps easier access to doctors for mental health and removing the stigma of mental illness would be better than worshiping an bronze age sky god.

No Brian, The living God doesn't kill 5 year old innocent children mankind does. This issue of evil is not about the separation of church and state it's about the separation of man and God. Get to know Him...

Cannot even figure how to begin to respond sensibly to this comment, which I find irrational in the extreme—but I guess that is how you find mine. Live and let live, and the world would be a better place.

Prayer certainly wasn't forbidden in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham. Where was "God's covering" for those four little girls? Face it, any god is a story you tell yourself, and nothing else.

Peace, thanks for sharing thoughts and beliefs.....may we all just ask for comfort for the families who just lost their precious loved ones...God Bless

What was the cause of the shooting at the Amish school in PA. These children said prayers in school.

Which god are you talking about? There are thousands of gods. If you wish to pray that's fine and I'll defend your right to do so but don't impose your beliefs on me or others.

I don't think prayer in school would have stopped this.

What prayer in school could do is divide students. I remember how the other children treated the Jewish or Jehovah's Witness students in our class. I know how pagan children are treated.

I defend all children right to go to school and to be free to practice their own personal beliefs without having the believes of others forced on them.

What prayer does for me is allow me to focus on the ideals I strive for, to better live my life by them. When you pray think of what you hold dear and how that should guide your actions.

I'm a polytheist, but closest to my heart is Sulis Minerva, a goddess of healing.

Please, consider, fighting on message boards about guns and prayer, does it chance anything?

Yes, it does; just needs to be done in a different manner than 200 years ago.

You are so right kay.
The "who, what, why, when and where' corps is making many mistakes in reporting the news.

BEIJING (AP) — A teenager killed eight people with a knife and wounded five more in northeast China after falling out with his girlfriend, state media said Thursday.

The teen killed two family members and six more people before fleeing, the state-run Legal Daily newspaper said. It reported he was caught but did not describe the circumstances.

I'm sorry, since when are M-16s legal again?

Most of the gun enthusiasts will simply keep parroting Charlton Heston's line.

Although there are reports that he was living with his mother in Ct., there are also reports that he had not been seen in the community in some years; there are all levels of disability.

From what I've read an 'assault' rifle was not used in this shooting. Though he possessed one it was in his car.

But how many times have you, and parents before you, done that safely? We cannot overreact to a single event, however horrific and tragic. This sort of event is very unlikely while so many are coming in; this shooter was apparently the son of an employee (though we now find that she was not present at the school), probably known to the staff; a security guard, had there been one, might have been less vigilant with a family member of a teacher. . . .

More children die each year from auto accidents each year than from violence. Do you drive your child to school, knowing this will start walking?

Cars are made for transportation. Guns are made to KILL or seriously injure.

By mentioning car accidents I was saying we should not be ruled by fear. We are more likely to die in car wreck and don't and should not ban cars.

We should notbeturning our schools into police state.

Journey,
You are so right. If you want kids to grow up to live in a democracy, and be full participants, you do not make the schools into mini police states ruled by guns/armed security guards. Do what is reasonable to protect, but do not overreact to create an unhealthy atmosphere of fear and force.

And should police be present at every workplace, and every shopping mall, and every church, etc. That is not the society in which I grew up, it was the antithesis of what our society aspired to, and it is not a society in which I care to live.

B, who is going to pay for this increased police presence? Perhaps we ought to start a TSA like program and have people subject to strip searhes? Enough with the police state already.

How many more people might have died in the Aurora movie theater or the Portland mall if more people had guns? Sorry, I don't buy this 'arm every sane person' Most people are not trained to respond to shootings. Even cops have shot innocent bystanders, look at the NYC shooting a few months ago where one gunman killed his target but about 9 other people were shot by police.

sarcasm or trolling?

Their lives are ruined forever. No more Christmas cheer, just sad reminders.

Early law enforcement reports had it wrong..they said Ryan Lanza age 24. Hoboken NJ was the shooter.

Shooter was ..Adam Lanza age 20..lives in Connecticut ( brother of Ryan)

There are millions of weapons in the USA..and BILLIONS is the world, hard to stop this now...even if no more are made.

Even a ban on assault weapons wouldn't stop the killing..they just use another style of weapon.

Thank you for sharing that. It gives me hope that someday this country will ban assault weapons.

.2% of all violent crimes involve an assault weapon. 1% of all gun crimes involve an assault weapon.

Not to mention that even under the assault weapon ban, one could buy a semi-automatic pistol and add all the characteristics of an "assualt weapon" and still have it be legal.

Actually, millions do all of those things every day—we need to keep it in perspective—mourn, yes; discuss, yes; take reasonable precautions (street sense); but do not change one’s way of life to accommodate irrational fear (yes, take precaution against the rational fears, of course).

B, are you going to seriously lock yourself at home? Millions of people go to the movies without getting shot. Even more go to malls and schools. You cannot live your life in fear.

Oh, thank God, it wasn't a fully automatic. Semi-automatic? Well of course that makes a big difference. Than he could only kill 1/2 the amount of little children at one time as opposed to using a fully automatic.

The expired Clinton law's definition of "assault weapon" included numerous semi-automatic weapons.

What place would that be? I do not think that there is ANY reasonable place for such a thing, but I would not repeal the 2nd amendment because they exist.

Please do some research before you open your mouth.

The shooter did not use an automatic weapon. In fact, automatic weapons are very tightly regulated, pretty much to the point of being illegal.

Who made the comment give up arms??????Read the posts. One shot, a good shot is all it takes to defend yourself and family and property. Maybe 2 or 3 if you're a poor shot. But a guns that fires dozens of rounds? Unless it's a mass of people attacking you no one needs an "arm" like that.

Hunter say, we need high powered rifles to hunt for sport. Then you get a high powered scope and attach it to the rifle. Then you can kill a deer at 700 yards.

You can't miss with this rifle, is this a sport?

how about just the semi automatic unnecessary ones. a few less lives would be lost.

And what he did years ago that would have justified locking him up at that point was. . . .?
Yes, someone using a functioning crystal ball would have seen and prevented this. We in the real world could not have, according to the information released so far. If you have specific information to make your case, fine; however, we cannot lock folks up unless they show serious risk of endangering others.

How often do people utter the phrase ''I'm going to kill you'' when they are angry and how often do they carry that out? By your reasoning ray most of us would be locked up.

The guns were apparently legally purchased by his mother, and used to kill her.

Sorry, we cannot go around reporting everyone we find a bit different to the authorities for investigation; we are all different, we think and act differently. If there is CLEAR evidence of violence, then that is a different story, but from what has been reported so far that does not seem to be the case here.
We do still live in a (relatively) free society, and I for one would like to see it remain that way.

We should "ban" illegal drugs? Well I don't think you can "ban" them much more than making them illegal...

And sorry, but that's a terrible idea. Why should we ban a form of free speech (upheld in Brown vs EMA) and billion dollar industry which employs hundreds of thousands of Americans when there is no causative link between video games and violence?

You want the second amendment, but not the first. Liberals want the first, but not the second. How about we just protect both of them?

Explain how stricter gun laws would have prevented this tragedy.

Hey Jenn, don't think we've met, but I admire your swift name calling reaction. Impressive!

I could have sworn that the murderer was brought up in Newton CT, and that's what's posted on the Washington Post website, but since I didn't realize that NJ has one of the strictest gun laws in the nation, nor did I know how long and difficult the process is here in NJ to even purchase a firearm I guess I should take your info over a trusted news source like WaPo.

The machine gun hunting was a Swiftian question Jenn, more rhetorical than anything. Glad you took it another way

The federal automatic weapons ban expired a number of years ago. I assumed that it was no longer illegal. Once again I defer to your knowledge.

I guess seeing a news segment on how easy it is to convert a semi automatic to an automatic via gun shows etc.

I appreciate your vitriol and heated passion on this horrible day.It's always good to see such boastful self righteous trolling. You're quite good at it.

Sigh.
The murderer was from Connecticut, had been living with his mother in the house where she was killed (though there are reports that he had not been there for a long period of time, but no reports as to where he actually was).
Points taken about the different types of weapons, and their legality/illegality.

Federal ASSAULT Weapons ban =/= Federal AUTOMATIC Weapons ban

Any semi-automatic weapon with 2+ of the following is an "assault weapon":
-Telescoping stock
-Pistol grip
-Place to mount bayonet
-Threads to mount flash supressor
-Grenade launcher

So, in reality an "assault weapon" could be less dangerous than a more powerful caliber hunting rifle, depending on which of the two it violated. (Admittedly the grenade launcher is a true danger).

Automatic weapons can only be purchased if made before 1986 and you have all the correct permits and live within a state that allows ownership. Even then, most machine guns are way too heavy to carry around and mow people down like you see in the movies, and the cost of owning one would be extremely expensive due to the limited supply and waste of ammunition.

The preceding poster is mostly correct. But the reference to "machine guns" is a bit misleading. Most automatic weapons have been lightweight for many decades now. For example, the standard rifle used during the Vietnam War was the M-16, a lightweight, automatic rifle that fired a small (non-NATO, 5.56 mm), but very lethal, round. It was banned under the assault-weapons law that expired in 2004. However, that law ALSO banned the semi-automatic version of the Vietnam-era weapon, the AR-15. Moreover, there are now many fully automatic pistols available for sale. They are often used by drug gangs, and are often shown in Hollywood movies. Any new assault-weapons ban would doubtlessly cover those, too.

@johnozed. You're good at it too, hypocrite.

Well not every automatic weapon is necessarily a machine gun. There are light machine guns, and submachine guns, battle rifles, etc. But point taken.

Actually, every fully automatic weapon may be -- and often is -- considered a machine gun. The sine qua non of a "machine gun" is that it fire repeatedly and rapidly (i.e., an automatic weapon). And many experts would consider such personal firearms (e.g., pistols and rifles) to fall into at least one of the categories you mention. Others might wish to make different categorizations. But such judgmental distinctions are semantic, not substantive. BTW, I once was employed by the Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground to test the foregoing.

Thanks Steve. Not having a gun fetish, I see them all as weapons of death and destruction. I appreciate your clarification minus being greatly upset over splitting hairs.

i thought i was the gun owners responsibilty to secure all gones in a gun vault..

Batman,

Only for responsible gun owners. There could be one gun law on the books or a million. The irresponsible ones--the ones like Lanza, the one in Aurora, Virginia Tech, the mall in Oregon or the two at Columbine--don't care for such laws.

DONT STOP RANTING

Ran out of room in my last rant. I have been a single mom for quite some time and I choose not to go out and bring a bunch of strangers into my life to make us a foursome. Yes I have had a couple long term relationships but they were not brought into my children's lives until I knew for sure that it was going to last a while. I happen to be a single mom because my husband decided that he wanted nothing to do with us and walked away, which was better than the constant put downs and the constant abuse. People like my ex had a mental default and do I think that he could have been capable of doing something like this maybe if the factors were right that led up to it. This poor senseless tragedy did not have to happen. My youngest is 12 years old and I send her off to school everyday because that is what is expected of us as parents to allow our children to receive an education. After this I am afraid to send her to school in her small rural community. I have kept my children away from the large cities to keep them away from the gangs and everyday items that can corrupt their minds. Will I continue to send her to school yes in hopes that we as a family in our nation can come up with a solution. Making our children feel like prisoners in the schools is not the answer either. Do we really want our children to feel as if they are locked down. Isn't school supposed to be a safe place where they are able to grow up, learn who they really are, and I keep running out of space

You sound like one terrific mom,,, being a mom is a tough job, but very rewarding,,, good for you, your kids are lucky to have you.

I guess you're not familiar with the First Amendment? I will pray for the victims and their families. I will state so here on the Patch. I will not cease and desist. You will not stop me. God bless you. I PRAY that someday you will be touch by His grace and your soul will be purged of the hate that is burning you up inside.

Just a point of order (as it were). The First Amendment gives no one any rights to post here, a private venue. That is why all comments are subject to "moderation," and may be deleted or permitted, at the discretion of a Patch editor. In any event, I don't read the OP as attacking your constitutional right to state your mind, just as the OP stated his (or hers).

No matter what religion you are or no religion at all you believe in something. Prayer is a healthy way to purge our soles and I am not one to go to church everyday. Do I believe in teaching my children to have empathy, sympathy and love yes. Those things are the basis of prayer. Our pledge of allegiance mentions the word god in it. I remember it from saying it every morning when I went to school. Do my children know it NO they don't because they are not allowed to say it in school. Maybe that is where we need to start. Put all that back into the morning routines at our school "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." I pray that these families get the peace knowing that their children and family members are with god are angels looking down on them watching over them, hoping we make the right decisions here.

@~Barb~. You can pray all you wish. I defend that right. Just don't impose your beliefs on anyone else.

For many years, the Pledge of Allegiance did not contain the words "under G-d." And such amendments to the pledge had been rejected. However, at the request of a then religiously converted President Eisenhower -- at the height of the Cold War against the "heathen" Communists -- Congress adopted the "under G-d" amendment in 1954. Requiring someone to recite it may well implicate First Amendment issues; indeed, some courts have ruled it unconstitutional. However, to date, the Supreme Court has issued no definitive ruling.

Barb---no one threatened to take away your precious right to prayer. please reread the original post.

Transpacificus: If you think National Health Insurance will better situations like this — You sir, respectfully submitted are out of your ever loving mind. Show me one thing, one thing at all the government ever made better!

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help." __ Ronald Reagan, 40th president of US (1911 - 2004)

Just a VERY small list of the innumerable things the US government "made better":

1. Roads and highways
2. the radio spectrum
3. the elimination of the Nazis
4. the end of the Cold war
5. antibiotics and vaccines
6. minimizing pollution
7. national parks
8. putting a man on the moon
9. aviation and maritime safety
10. everything enumerated in the Bill of Rights (which was created by government)
11. fire safety
12. traffic laws
13. broadcast programming (PBS and NPR)
14. water quality and sanitary systems
15. near elimination of polio, malaria, smallpox, yellow fever, many other diseases
16. elimination of slavery
17. Internet (created by DARPA), by which you posted your silly comment, Mr. Campbell!

He actually wasn't buzzed in. He shot out a window at the door and forced his way in.

Unknown you are correct that profiling could have identified this killer as a high risk person. Our laws impede profiling and sharing data points on behavioral abnormalities dipue to healtcare privacy laws. For goodnes sake parents are not notified if thier child develops issues while away at college! Neighbors have indicated the killer was a loner, genius, autistic, asperger, as well. Oh and he was a Goth. He was big into video games...violent games i am certain. Now add guns in the home (all legally purchased by his Mom) and we have little children and teachers murdered. Unspeakable pain. No words.

so, because these things can always happen, we should do nothing about the proliferation of guns designed only to kill multiple people.

complete nonsense. shame on you.

Prayer is comfort only to those that pray and believe that. Your prayers mean nothing to me as I don't hear them. The people who lost children don't hear them either.

While I can understand your feelings, I doubt that comments on this local New Jersey Patch site are affecting devastated Connecticut families in any way.

Willy, most believers understand that God gave us free will ... to do good or to do evil. It stands to reason that God would not create automatons to worship him always. You cannot blame God for the evil acts of men. The way to prevent these horrors is for society to promote good mental and spiritual health, and personal responsibility.

I don't believe you.

Hey Rizzo (hump) why don't you retrain your Hollywood making murder machine?

Wrong. Hiroshima & Nagasaki had far more fatalities than we did on 9/11. As most (all?) were civilians I'd argue that was the single largest mass murder.

As many as 24,000 innocent civilians were murdered in a single day in the summer of 1943 at Auschwitz-Birkenau. It was not unusual for as many as 20,000 per day to be murdered throughout the year, many by guns. Thousands of civilians per day were murdered by gunfire on the Eastern Front early in the war; however, that was deemed too inefficient and costly, so the mass executions were "outsourced" to the concentration camps farther west.

If you think bombing the civilians in Japan with 2 atomic bombs was justified I don't have anything more to say to you.

Andrew Kehoe used bombs. Jonestown or Jim Jones used poison. I still think gun control is an answer.

In the absence of actual malice, neither the press nor the police would be liable for defamation.

What Steve said.

Are they legal now oh wise one?

Prayers help YOU, David, not the people you think you're praying for. In fact, you're probably always praying for yourself, because, you know, all that crap's about YOU, YOU, YOU. "God" included. But, hey, enjoy that mental masturbation.

Nice vulgarities.

When I pray, it is about me, it is about how I can be more of healer. Then I go out into e world and act.

Everyone, we don't need to legalize prayer in public to pray. I pray all the time, silently. Why do we have force prayer on other people?

And if you don't believe in prayer, do believe in contemplating how to be a better person? Does it make the world a better place to insult people that don't share your beliefs?

To those who want prayer in school, if that happened in my town I make sure it includes prays to the Morrigan, Astarte, Hecate, Herne, and Pan.

School is no place to proselytize. If you want open the door to proselytize one faith, you open the door to all.

Every Corporation in the US has security guards and they oversee the access and security of the workplace. Our schools deserve the same access security.
Now many posts want tomeliminate all guns. We have outlawed alcohol during prohibition and smugglers made a tone of money bring alcohol into the USA. We have outlawed drugs and the drug cartels have made a ton of money smuggling drugs.
Gun ownership is here to stay. We need to strengthen the process of buying a gun so its consistent and intrusive as to the competency of the purchaser, what is will be used for and where it will be kept secure. The families of the victims of gun violence should sue all relatives of a killer like the one in Ct. They all knew the mother had guns, and that the killer was emotionally unstable. We need to have a major verdict $$ on the family members who did nothing to tell the authorities of this dangerous condition created by the mother. That verdict will get the attention of the families of gun owners who are negligent with this right to bear arms.

There is no affirmative duty under tort law (or even under criminal law) for a person to take ANY steps with respect to a relative's known possession or negligence regarding a firearm, nor regarding such a person's mental disabilities, especially where there is no in loco parentis relationship between the purported defendant and the relative. Such a suit would almost certainly be dismissed well before trial. And there is certainly no such legal cause of action against one who is "negligent with this right to bear arms."

I must add that I am long past being surprised by all the folks who urge legal redress for any of society's problems, while often it is those same people decrying the litigiousness of America and impugning the integrity of all lawyers . . . .

Steve
We have precedent as it relates to DWI manslaughter which civil suits have been succcessfully resulted in civil penalties against those who serve and enable the driver who kills under the influence. In this case there is a joint custody order entered in conjunction with the divorce decree. The Father had a loco parentis relationship and should be accountable for the care and environment which impacted the killer who was emotionally unstable with asperger syndrome, which has symptoms of depreesion and tantrums and anger issues. A significant civil financial judgement would go a long way to broaden accountability beyond the killer alone. It has worked with DWI cases and everyone is aware of consequences of over serving drivers in your home or in a restaurant.

You are incorrect and mixing up different legal principles. And there was no longer any legal relationship between the father and the son, who had reached his majority under any such custody agreement.

Steve, it appears he was deemed disabled, still a dependent living at home, and the mother receiving child support for his care. You are ignoring facts that a jury and judge would give significant weight to, and an emotionally charged case would enrage the jury to provide a significant judgent to the victims. Let the depositions begin and gain all the facts and see if a case can be brought. Our judicial system has had abuses but it has also changed societal behaviors that required change.

OK. This is the last I am going to post on this subject. I repeat, there was almost certainly no legal liability on the part of the father, and any such suit brought would almost certainly never survive summary judgment to reach a jury. Of course, anyone can file a suit.

First, the so-called "Dram Shop Acts" and equivalent laws are specifically directed to the instance where a tavern or liquor store -- or a host, such as at a party -- serves liquor to a person, especially one known to be intoxicated, and the person commits some tort on a third party. That is a different situation than where someone has mere KNOWLEDGE of another's acts leading to a tort. In general, mere knowledge of something is very rarely (if ever) actionable in the United States.

Second, Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old, was long passed the age of majority in Connecticut, which is 18. That is the age that would have been certainly used by the court in Connecticut to set most, if not all, obligations, absent very unusual circumstances. All support, liability and joint-custody arrangements -- except perhaps for college expenses and the like -- would have normally expired long ago. You recite some "facts" that I doubt are true as a matter of law. For example, I have seen nothing saying he was a "legal" dependent of anyone -- such that someone was in loco parentis -- let alone an absent father. This would be very unusual, and certainly there is nothing reported that I have seen saying that.

@Concerned..Do you know anyone who ever got behind the wheel of a car after a few drinks and drove off? I’m sure you do. Did you pick the phone up and call the police? You knew that driver had been drinking and was impaired. We need to have a major verdict $$ on people like you who do nothing to tell the authorities of a dangerous condition like a drunk driver behind the wheel of a car. If you had called an alerted the police perhaps a tragedy could have been averted, so I guess that makes it your fault?.

Edward Campbell, infact i do not drink and drive. The consequences are so severe, and rightly so. As i stated the bar tender who serves the drinks or if i was entertaining in my home and over served someone , i could be liable for damages. As for calling a police when i see a drunk driving, i would do so out of conscience but i would have no legal requirement to do so. In fact, some bars have spotters or plants who watch and call police on folks who are drunk and leaving to get in their cars. Parents and siblings of dangerous unstable persons should notify police to report threatening behaviors they observe to protect the public.

If there is a legal case against "the family", it would be difficult to target the father, since the shooter had reached the age of majority. The surviving brother had little contact and surely has little legal responsibility. The person who could (and perhaps should) be targetted is the mother, who was very close to the situation and not only was giving comfort and shelter to her shooter son, but also provided the means for him to kill all of the victims at the school. If she were still alive, she probably would have all kinds of legal liability, or at least be the target for much legal action, since she put firearms and her son in the same place, or on purely strict liability that it was her guns that she didn't keep safe. The fact that she is now dead by her own son;s hands almost doesn;t make a difference since if she died any time after these events, suits could continue against her estate. So, I think the lawyers will go after the dead mother's estate, which may, in fact be quite substantial.

Thanks Journey. Good article, chilling.

Capitalism does not equate to deadly competition between society's memebers. Sheesh.

Guns are not the issue. Mental illness is. BTW - drunk drivers kill 40% more people than guns do. Should we ban cars?

I'm upset at the tea party for their fear mongering.

I know there is more potential for death from cars.

I hate how people use this tragedy to advance their agenda. Huckelbee/prayer in school, both sides of the control debate. All using these children.

If that was an automatic weapon it would have gone through that ammunition in less than a minute.