Jump directly to the content
TRAGIC END

How many people died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting?

THE lives of Newtown, Connecticut, residents were turned upside down in 2012, following the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

To date, it is still known as one of the deadliest school shootings in history.

The Sandy Hook school shooting happened in 2012
2
The Sandy Hook school shooting happened in 2012Credit: Getty

How many people died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting?

On December 14, 2012, a man entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and took the lives of several students and staff members.

In total, 26 people were shot, 20 of which were children, and the others, were staff members.

The victims include:

Read More on The US Sun

  • Jessica Rekos, 6
  • Olivia Engel, 6
  • Avielle Richman, 6
  • Jesse Lewis, 6
  • Noah Pozner, 6
  • Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
  • Emilie Parker, 6
  • Charlotte Bacon, 6
  • Catherine Hubbard, 6
  • James Mattioli, 6
  • Caroline Previdi, 6
  • Allison Wyatt, 6
  • Dylan Hockley, 6
  • Madeleine Hsu, 6
  • Jack Pinto, 6
  • Benhamin Wheeler, 6
  • Chase Kowalski, 7
  • Josephine Gay, 7
  • Daniel Barden, 7
  • Grace Audrey McDonnell, 7
  • Victoria Soto, 27
  • Rachel Davino, 29
  • Lauren Rousseau, 30
  • Dawn Hochsprung, 47
  • Anne Marie Murphy, 52
  • Mary Sherlach, 56

The gunman's mother, Nancy Lanza, 56, was also killed on December 14, 2012.

Who was the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter?

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter was later identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

He entered the school shortly after 9:30am local time armed with a semiautomatic rifle, two semiautomatic pistols, and multiple rounds of ammunition.

It was later revealed that the guns were purchased legally by his mother and were registered under her name.

Nancy's friend Mark Tambascio told the  at the time that her interest in guns grew in the years leading up to her death.

"She took it up as a hobby about three years ago, target shooting," he said.

"She didn't talk much about it to me. Just, 'Oh, I went shooting today,' you know. Nothing else."

Before police arrived at the scene, Lanza turned the gun to himself and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

26 people died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
2
26 people died in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootingCredit: AFP

What happened as a result of the school shooting?

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting shocked the nation back in 2012 and continues to play an important role in history today.

As a result of the deadly event, then-President Barack Obama signed 23 executive orders and proposed 12 congressional actions regarding gun control.

The Connecticut General Assembly also passed a 139-page major gun-control bill with broad bipartisan support that was signed by then-governor Dannel Malloy the same day.

The bill requires universal background checks for all firearm purchases, and a high-capacity magazine ban banning the sale of purchase of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds of ammunition.

Unfortunately, Sandy Hook has not stopped other mass shootings from happening.

Since then, there have been over 2,600 mass shootings across the country, according to , including several other school shootings.

Read More On The Sun

In 2018, a former Stoneman Douglas High School student opened fire on students in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 people.

Another deadly school shooting happened on May 24, 2022, that took the lives of 15 people.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

We pay for your stories!

Do you have a story for The US Sun team?

Email us at [email protected] or call 212 416 4552. Like us on Facebook at  and follow us from our main Twitter account at