National News

Children, gunman dead in Conn. elementary school shooting

Posted: Dec 14, 2012 11:57 AM by CBS News
Updated: Dec 14, 2012 4:13 PM

At least 18 children were killed Friday in a shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that left a total of 27 people dead, officials told CBS News.

CBS News senior correspondent John Miller said that the death toll was preliminary and likely to change. At least eight adults were killed in the shooting. The gunman also died. At least one teacher was wounded.

It is unclear if there was more than one gunman at the school. Miller reports authorities have an individual in custody who investigators said may be a possible second shooter.

Law enforcement sources told Miller that preliminary and unconfirmed information indicates that the gunman was the father of a student. Officials also told Miller that the suspect is around 20 years old who apparently drove to the school from New Jersey.

The shooter was killed and apparently had two guns, a person with knowledge of the shooting told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still under way.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Obama was informed of the shooting at 10:30 a.m. ET. by homeland security adviser John Brennan.

CBS Hartford affiliate WFSB-TV reports around 600 students attend the school.

Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance described the situation to CBS New York station WCBS-AM as a "very serious school shooting."

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

An 8-year-old student told WCBS-TV he was on his way to the school's office when he saw the gunman.

"I saw some of the bullets going down the hall and then a teacher pulled me into her classroom," the boy said.

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.

Lisa Bailey, a Newtown resident with three children in Newtown schools, told CBSNewYork.com, "Newtown is a quiet town. I'd never expect this to happen here. It's so scary. Your kids are not safe anywhere."

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.

Students were taken to a nearby firehouse to be reunited with their parents, CBSNewYork.com reports.