School shooting in Newtown CT / China school stabbing

[CaptainQuintero]

Not a whole load of information yet:

At least 27 people - including 18 children - have reportedly been killed in one of the worst school shootings in US history.

The death toll at Sandy Hook Elementary School , in Newtown, Connecticut, was reported by the Associated Press news agency (AP), which cited an unnamed official.

The gunman - reportedly masked and heavily armed - has been killed in the school.

There are reports that he used a .223-caliber rifle.

A police official says a 20-year-old man is in police custody and CBS news is reporting that a body has been found at an address linked to the gunman.

Lieutenant Paul Vance told a media conference there had been "several casualties", including children and staff.

"The shooter is deceased inside the building," he added.

Meanwhile, local newspaper the Hartford Courant said an entire classroom was unaccounted for. It reported sources as saying many of the shootings took place in a kindergarten classroom.

Staff at Danbury Hospital said they did not expect to receive any more patients than the three they were treating.

Stephen Delgiadice said his eight-year-old daughter heard two big bangs before teachers told her to get in a corner. His daughter was unharmed.

"It's alarming, especially in Newtown, Connecticut, which we always thought was the safest place in America," he said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama was monitoring the situation.

"I think it's important on a day like today to view this, as I know the president as a father does, and I as a father and others who are parents certainly do, which is to feel enormous sympathy for families that are affected," he said.

The local mayor, Mark Boughton, posted on his Twitter page: "A horrible, horrible day for the Greater Danbury Community. Prayers for Newtown and the families of the children. #tragic."

Local media initially reported there were two shooters, while police reportedly said a gunman was in the main office of the school and that a person in one room had "numerous gunshot wounds".

The incident began around half an hour after the school day had started.

A dispatcher at the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps said a teacher was shot in the foot and taken to Danbury Hospital.

But State Police are reportedly saying that the school is no longer an "active shooting scene".

Crying pupils were seen being escorted from the school, which has children aged between five and 11 years old.

More follows...

[CaptainQuintero]

Frank just found this too:

22 stabbed in a school in China today a few hours ago:

Beijing: The dreaded attacks on school children returned to haunt China on Thursday after 22 of them were injured besides an 85-year-old woman after a "mentally deranged" man, armed with a knife, went on a slashing spree at a primary school.

Armed with a knife Min Yingjun, 36 attacked group of children at the gate of a primary school in central China's Henan Province setting off panic in the village. The woman and most of the injured students suffered head wounds.

Some of them were in shock, according to the People's Hospital of the county, which received most of the people injured in the attack.

All the injured people have been sent to three local hospitals and at least two of them, one student and an 85-year-old woman, are in serious condition, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The attack took place this morning at the entrance of Chenpeng Village Primary School in Wenshu Township of Guangshan County in the city of Xinyang.

Local police said they had detained Min, stated to be mentally deranged person. Min burst into the 85-year-old woman's house, located next to the school and went baresark after an argument, according to the daughter of the old woman. Liu is said to have seized a knife at the house and attacked the elderly woman. He then left, rushed into the school campus and slashed students, according to villagers.

The suspect was unknown in the village and might be mentally ill, some villagers said.

"I want to go home," cried a 7-year-old student surnamed Wei, who arrived at the hospital in a serious condition with a skull fracture.

The boy's coat was stained with blood and he was quite scared after being wounded, according to the boy's relatives.

China has been experiencing the school attacks in different places for some time. Dubbed as social revenge attacks by frustrated people marginalised by China's rapid development in recent years, the attackers mainly targeted school children to make maximum impact.

Related Stories

• US school shooting: At least 27 dead including 18 children
  

A number of attackers have already been given executed after courts gave them death sentences.

After several such attacks since 2010, the government has ordered all schools to beef-up security and the official media stopped reporting the incidents to avoid copy-cat imitations.

PTI

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...ol.html?cmp=rss

[Scdalak]

[riazp]

Most defenitly the most horrific thing i've read. Just horrible. I will say a prayer for the poor parents who lost a child in this madness. This really saddens me as a father.

[maverickdrinker]

saw this unfold when I was at the gym. Very sad. Those poor children and their families. What is the world coming to...

[gigabyte056]

It is terrible news, very distressing and saddening.

[rckymtn22]

What is wrong with people that they need to do these things, another sad day for the victims and their families.

[anacostiakat]

http://gma.yahoo.com/breaking-conn-school-district-locked-down-shooting-report-151955384--abc-news-topstories.html

[khomeinist]

good post PF....

the horrible event speaks for itself today......

[Guest rob]

I just don't think I'll ever ever ever understand why they do it.

So very sad that these events happen

[maverickdrinker]

GUYS!!! A horrible tragedy has occurred. Innocent children have lost thier lives. We should be mourning for the families and the state of the world. Cut the bull ****. INNOCENT CHILDREN LOST THEIR LIVES!!!!!

As a father, I cried when the full impact and number of people that were killed today was annouced. I held my son forever, trying to figure what our world is coming to.

I cant imagine what I would do if something happened to my family. This is a time to give your loved ones a big hug and tell them you love them.

[CanuckSARTech]

CQ, thanks for posting the stories.

My wife and I have been following the updates today on CNN and CBC Radio. Definitely a tragic series of events. To some, it may be consolation that the shooter is dead; to others, unfortunate, as they may never know his true motives, or be able to see justice served in the courts. However, lessons will be learned, and hopefully some good may come of it, and perhaps future events may be averted.

It's just such an unfortunate series of events. One can't help but hate when these events happen and there's such a sad loss of truly innocent lives.

[El Presidente]

Awful. perverse.

This thread will be locked down when the first person strays from forum policy.

No US political debate (including guns), no personal abuse etal. the offender will also be suspended.

Until then, it can play no problem. I do not moderate via crystal ball but if I had the chance to place a $50 bet on the future of this thread without intervention, I know where I would place my money

Maz (and others), I deleted a few things to try and right the ship, not to cause offense or discipline.

[El Presidente]

Crikey, how hard is it to stay on subject.

Referring to what shouldn't happen is as bad as posting about it. simply petrol and a match.

[Trevor2118]

Maz (and others), I deleted a few things to try and right the ship, not to cause offense or discipline.

Understood.

[Nino]

Maz (and others), I deleted a few things to try and right the ship, not to cause offense or discipline.

No problem.

[Dimmers]

Oh my lord just found out about this. So very deeply saddened, and prayers for everyone caught up in this tragedy.

[ptrthgr8]

I've got some friends who live in Newtown. Not sure where their kids go to school, so I'm definitely worried - still trying to find out if they're okay.

Definitely a terrible day. There's never a good time for evil like this, of course, but it feels even worse being so close to Christmas. I definitely feel terrible for the families of all involved.

~ Greg ~

[brazoseagle]

I've been sick at my stomach all day. I was driving with my precious son asleep in the back seat of my truck when it was unfolding on the radio. I couldn't help but look back at him in the mirror and see such a precious. Innocent and unscarred from the world , baby boy, just a few years younger than those taken. I had to pull over because the feelings of how someone could harm an innocent scared child and thinking about if what devistation ever happened to mine, overcame me and I broke down in tears. I can't even imagine the evil that it takes for someone to do something so grossly appalling. No one deserves this fate, but scared kindergarten children is a product of evil at its worst. Prayers and more prayers go out to everyone effected today and prayers for the future of our world and for the future and safety of my son. I can't think of something more repulsive that has occurred to such innocent souls in my lifetime. Please God, cleanse this world of such evil! This is beyond Mental Illness, this is beyond drugs, this is pure evil!

[bassman]

RIP to all the children. The odd thing for me is I've never been in CT, but spent 2 days in Xinyang back in 1987.

[jacktarnold]

This is a tragedy. It enrages me that someone is capable of perpetrating such an act. All I want to do is hold my daughter tight and pray for all of those affected by this horrendous act.

[Habanos2000]

So unbelievably tragic. God bless the families affected.

[First Lady]

I cried when I heard , My heart and prayers go out to these families who have lost their world .

Greg I pray you friends children are safe..

Hold your children close and hug them hard...

[MnMWC]

Hope your friends children are alright Greg.

Just listened to NBC psychologist on TV say to not tell your 5-7 year olds about the this but to let them ask us parents about it. As I am am hugging my 5 year old after getting home from work, I could not even think about trying to tell him anyway.

My heart is broken for these innocent victims and there families.

[Eltoasto]

Made me sick to my stomach all day long. I don't want to hear a peep from the media about this killer's name, picture or story but already sorely disappointed.

I do hope we all take this as an opportunity to keep on trucking with our lives while taking added care to provide love and support to those around us...especially those who seem troubled.