We Are Newtown, a community organization created to raise money and provide support after the school shooting in December, will be shipping T-shirts to Moore, Oklahoma to provide some clothing for the tornado victims.

At least 24 people were killed in the tornadoes, more than 120 were injured and many more lost everything when powerful storms destroyed houses.

In the days, weeks and months after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, people from across the country were in mourning over the deaths of 20 elementary school students and six staff members, so they did what the could.

They sent money and gifts and stood in solidarity with Newtown.

Now, the people of Newtown want to give back and put shirts on the backs of people who have lost everything.

“Today we will overnight "We Are Newtown" t-shirts to Moore, OK in an effort to give those who lost so much, a simple shirt to put on their backs,” a post on the We Are Newtown Facebook page says. “The pillar of hope that reads on the back of the shirt will act as a small reminder to their community that they will make it through this incredibly difficult time. … Our prayers continue.”

 

On Tuesday, a group of Connecticut State Troopers traveled to Washington, DC for National Police Week and they met with Vice President Joe Biden.

The group of troopers who made the trip included some who led the team that went into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown to respond to the call of an active shooting in December, those who processed the crime scene at the school and troopers who consoled families of the shooting victims.

State Police union president Andrew Matthews was also in attendance, according to a statement from the state police union.

Dennis Hallon, executive director of the National Troopers Coalition, also attended the meeting, where he learned that both on-duty and off-duty troopers responded, according to state police.

“We are proud of how our Troopers responded to this tragic event,” Matthews said in a news release.

They were required to act immediately and did so without regard for their own safety, Matthews said.

“Our Troopers responded with courage, compassion and professionalism that has been witnessed around the country and the world and their response is a testament to the critical role that State Troopers perform every day,” Matthews said in a statement.

During the meeting, the troopers and Vice President Biden discussed his platform for reducing gun violence in the country.

Biden congratulated the troopers for their unselfish actions and praised them for their efforts, according to the state police union.

The troopers were attending National Police Week to honor the 21 state troopers and 19,981 other police officers who were killed in the line of duty.

The troopers returned to Connecticut on Wednesday. 

A grand jury in New York has indicted a 37-year-old Bronx woman accused of pretending to be a family member of a young child killed in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December and soliciting donations.

On Tuesday, the grand jury indicted Nouel Alba on one count each of scheme to defraud in the first degree and identity theft in the second degree, according to the Office of the Bronx District Attorney.

Alba was arrested at her residence on Tuesday morning after a five-month long investigation that began based on information that she was the subject of reports on CNN, according to the Office of the Bronx District Attorney.

Officials said Alba posted information on Facebook right after the Newtown, Conn., school shootings in which she falsely claimed to be an aunt of the deceased 6-year-old victim Noah Pozner, solicited donations to help pay for his funeral expenses and included instructions that the donations be sent to a specific Paypal account.

Days after the shooting, one of Pozner’s family members met with NBC’s Jeff Rossen and said Alba was not related to them.

When investigators learned that Alba was not related to the Pozners, the investigation began.

Investigators from the Office of the Bronx District Attorney and the United States Secret Service executed a search warrant at her residence recovered her computer.

Between December 14 and 20, 2012, four donations totaling $240 were sent to Alba’s Paypal account, according to officials.

Alba denied to Rossen sending any message through Facebook, claimed that someone else posted it and said she refunded the money.

A federal indictment also charges Alba with making false statements to the federal government about the alleged scam.

Alba was arraigned on Tuesday and bail was set at $10,000 bond or $1,000 cash.
 

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Noah's little face is always the last thing Veronique Pozner sees before she goes to sleep.

"You know he always used to cuddle between us in bed when he had a nightmare, so this blanket just keeps him alive," Pozner recalled.

It's often a struggle to get through the day knowing she will never watch him grow up; never give him another hug; never see him with his twin sister, Arielle, again.  Pozner says it's the thoughtful gifts from complete stranger that make the day a little easier.

"They couldn't give us what they wanted to give us, which was our little boy back.  So they gave us what they could," Pozner said.

In the months since Noah was killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, Pozner and her husband, Lenny, say they've finally found their voice again after spending weeks in a fog of grief and sadness.  Yet, they have now found themselves in the midst of what Veronique calls another tragedy.

"We're looking to claim what's rightfully ours," she said.

Days after the shooting, Pozner's brother, Alexis Haller, reached out to his sister from his home in Seattle, offering to set up a trust for Noah's four surviving siblings ages 6, 9, 18 and 19 years old.  At a time of immeasurable grief, Pozner says she was happy to have his help.

"It was fairly soon into it, maybe 2 or 3 weeks that I started having concerns about things that were going on," Pozner remembered.

Pozner says she found out all the mementos, letters and gifts from complete strangers weren't coming to her.

"They thing that was causing me the most pain was the fact that there was a post office box in San Francisco, as well as a UPS box in Newtown.  Everything was being delivered to the P.O. boxes and then packed and shipped to Washington state, sight unseen by any of us.  We had to hire an attorney to get that material back," Pozner said.

She says what they received months later were dozens of opened letters and gifts that were not in their original condition.

"The fact that correspondence like that went to eyes other than us, as Noah's parents, is unconscionable to me.  The fact that someone would open and read those letters, or maybe discard some of them...I'll never know if I got everything back," she said.

Haller, though, says all correspondence were forwarded back to his sister and that she was aware he had opened many cards to check for donations.

Now, Pozner is fighting to regain control of Noah's trust.  She says Haller, an attorney himself, appointed himself trustee when he started it.  He has since refused to turn control over to the two people Pozner and her husband want named as trustees.

"We feel there ought to be two trustees.  That's how you get that checks and balances.  He names himself the only one," said Pozner.

Haller released a statement to NBC Connecticut saying in part, "At my sister's behest, I agreed to serve as trustee for a trust set up to benefit Noah's four surviving siblings and helped raise money for that trust.  In short, I devoted hundreds of hours to doing whatever I could, as best I could.  More recently, my sister and her second husband have been pressing me to appoint their personal friends as trustees for the trust...However my sister's own two adult children, who are trust beneficiaries, do not agree with the appointment of these individuals as trustees."  He goes on to say, "to resolve this sad conflict, but without abandoning my fiduciary obligations as trustee to all the surviving siblings, I have proposed a range of reasonable alternatives, including meeting with a judge to find a solution, transferring the trust to a professional trustee, and splitting the trust among Noah's four surviving siblings.  My sister and her husband have rejected all of these options."

Because of the dispute, Haller says none of the money has gone to any of the children. All of the donations received are sitting in the account untouched, he said.

"I don't have any reason to believe any funds are going to be misappropriated.  I think what we are looking for is for us to get ownership back, empowerment back.  This was our story, he was our son," Pozner maintained.

Even more infuriating for Pozner was Haller speaking about Noah in a TV story that aired in Seattle on the one month anniversary of Noah's murder.

"They actually didn't know Noah very well at all.  They didn't know what he likes, what he didn't like and they started speaking to that immediately," she said.

Haller says that Pozner asked that he stopped speaking on her behalf, he has abided by her wishes, but says he will continue to share his thoughts on the shooting and issues like gun control.

Haller and Pozner's mother also issues a statement to the Troubleshooters supporting her son's actions saying she is "deeply saddened by her daughter's accusations."  Pozner's oldest son, Michael, also released a statement supporting his uncle's actions.

"We are the parents and we're the guardians and I'm still taking care of my children," Pozner responded.

Pozner says Haller's repeated refusals to abide by her requests have added another layer of pain to a tragedy she admits she'll never get over.

"I want him to honor what we are asking, what we need," Pozner said.

It's a mother's plea for control of her son's memory.

"This is our story and in my opinion they should thank God every day that this is not their story," she said.

The nail polish company OPI and Sandy Hook Promise have launched a new, limited edition nail color called “Sandy Hook Green” to raise money for Sandy Hook Promise.

The nail polish will be launched at the first Sandy Hook Green Salon-a-Thon event at Ricci’s Salon & Spa and Academy of Cosmetology in Newtown on Sunday, May 19,  from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

OPI has pledged to donate 10,000 bottles of "Sandy Hook Green" to Sandy Hook Promise to support efforts to keep communities safer.

Ricci’s Salon & Spa and Academy of Cosmetology in Newtown will give a free bottle of "Sandy Hook Green" on May 19 to anyone who purchases a variety of salon services.  The bottles also will be available at the event with a $10 donation to Sandy Hook Promise.

Sandy Hook Promise works to support those affected by the Sandy Hook School tragedy and help the community heal as well as support solutions to make our country safer from similar acts of violence.

Volunteers are meeting in Newtown today to package Hearts of Hope, keepsake hearts with messages of hope, to be delivered to Boston.

The event is intended to be in show of solidarity with Boston one month after the Boston Marathon bombings and support families affected by the bombings at the Boston Marathon.

Hearts of Hope is a “Pay it Forward” community service program based in Cooperstown, New York. Since May 7, it has created 35,887 hearts.

The volunteers are meeting at the Newtown Senior Center, 14 Riverside Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
 

The nail polish company OPI and Sandy Hook Promise have launched a new, limited edition nail color called “Sandy Hook Green” to raise money for Sandy Hook Promise. www.sandyhookpromise.org.

The nail polish will be launched at the first Sandy Hook Green Salon-a-Thon event at Ricci’s Salon & Spa and Academy of Cosmetology on Sunday, May 19,  from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

OPI has pledged to donate 10,000 bottles of Sandy Hook Green to Sandy Hook Promise to support efforts to keep communities safer.

Ricci’s Salon & Spa and Academy of Cosmetology in Newtown is accepting appointments and walk-ins for a variety salon services, including manicures, haircuts, shampoo and blow-out, shampoo with conditioning, blow-out and flat iron, men's shave, and children's braids and up-dos, which each include a free bottle of Sandy Hook Green.

Appointments are suggested, but walk-ins are welcome, according to Sandy Hook Promise.

If you are unable to stay for a salon service, Sandy Hook Green will also be available at the event with a $10 donation to Sandy Hook Promise.

Ricci’s Salon & Spa is located at 99 South Main Street in Newtown.

Sandy Hook Promise works to support those affected by the Sandy Hook School tragedy and help the community heal as well as support solutions to make our country safer from similar acts of violence.

 

A panel facing the difficult task of determining the future of Sandy Hook Elementary School voted unanimously to build a new school at the current site.

The task force met Friday night amid an ongoing discussion about what to do with the current building, where a gunman went on a rampage on Dec. 14, killing 20 first graders and six staff members.

The group rejected a proposal to renovate the 60-year-old current building, and most of the members indicated they thought the other proposed site on nearby Riverside Road was not viable, NBC Connecticut's Debra Bogstie reported.

The decision Friday night came after a meeting held last week about the future of the school ended with no decision. 

Three weeks after the shooting, students returned to classes, but moved to the former Chalk Hill School in Monroe, about seven miles from the site of the tragic shooting.

The 28 task force members have been trying to decide whether to renovate at the current site or rebuild on nearby Riverside Road, at Reed Intermediate School or on the Fairfield Hills campus.

"I will chain my body to it and to protest if they try to re-open it," said Erica Lafferty, daughter of Dawn Hochsprung, the principal who was killed trying to protect her students.

Residents attended the meeting and voiced their opinions about the site and the options.

“Just tearing it down and building a new school in the same place is one of the solutions that would make the most sense,” Peter Caracciolo, of Newtown, said.

The estimated cost for renovation or building a new school is estimated to range between $47 million and $59 million.

"I don't think people will be unhappy with what emerges there beyond the fact that many will object to that it's there at all," Will Rodgers, a committee member, said. 

On Dec. 14, six educators were killed trying to protect their young students during a school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

On Monday, Medal of Honor recipients honored Rachel Davino, 29, Dawn Hochsprung, 47, Anne Marie Murphy, 52, Lauren Rousseau, 30, Mary Sherlach, 56, and Victoria Soto, 27,
who acted courageously that December morning.

During a special ceremony, three recipients of the Medal of Honor presented the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s highest civilian award, the Citizen Honors Medal, posthumously at Newtown High School.

The families of the six women attended to accept the Citizen Honors Medal during the ceremony.

The Medal of Honor recipients also presented the Citizens Medal of Honor Society’s Certificate of Commendation to all of the teachers and staff of Sandy Hook who acted courageously during the tragedy.

In the weeks after the shooting, there were dozens of nominations for the medals to go to teachers and staff at Sandy Hook. 

“Many teachers and staff members disregarded their own safety that day to hide and protect the children in their care. Those acts of courage, sacrifice, and selflessness are the very same traits identified with the Medal of Honor; only they were demonstrated at a critical moment in hometown USA, not on a battlefield far from home.  Recognizing these ordinary Americans who performed extraordinary acts at home is the very reason for our Citizen Honors program,” Harold Fritz, president of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, said.

In February, President Barack Obama bestowed the Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor, on the six adults killed in the school shooting.
 

The Sandy Hook Elementary Building Task Force will not have a decision on the location of the new elementary school Friday night.

Sandy Hook Elementary School could end up in one of two locations. It will either be built on a lot on Riverside Road, not far from the existing school, or it will be rebuilt on the original site on Dickenson Drive.

Sergeant David Kullgren's life forever changed as a result of one of the darkest days in Connecticut history. 

The 11-year Newtown Police Department veteran is sharing his experiences about the moment he entered Sandy Hook Elementary.

"There was the constant feeling of who's going to come around the corner and try to shoot you," Kullgren said.

Kullgren was among the first police officers to enter the school.  The officers had been trained for an active shooter situation.

"It was the feeling of hoping, when I pull my trigger, that bullet better come out of the chamber," Kullgren recalled.

But Kullgren didn't have to fire his weapon.  Shooter Adam Lanza was already dead.

Kullgren helped evacuate the terrified students and school staff members. 

The Connecticut State Police took the scene one hour later. Kullgren said he remained at the scene as a liasion between local and state police.

His experiences inside the school haunt him to this day.

"You walk down the street and you see a child the same size. Where does your mind go? It goes right back to being in those classrooms," Kullgren said.

He said sleepless nights followed in the weeks after Sandy Hook. There were times when he couldn't focus, he said. Kullgren is now living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Mental impact is forever and, for some, it's unfortunately worse," Kullgren said.

Kullgren said other first responders are taking time off work periodically to deal with their symptoms. According to the police union, several officers are battling PTSD.

Union president Scott Ruszczyk, a veteran Newtown officer who was not working the morning of December 14, 2012, said the department is now a much quieter, much sadder place.

"When you have an incident like Sandy Hook, where you have so much of it at one time, it really is just going to change the entire culture of the department," Ruszczyk said.

None of the officers was physically hurt, but their mental injuries could lead to permanent scars.

"We're not going to know the true damage that this has caused for several years down the road," Ruszczyk said.

The town of Newtown is helping the impacted officers pay for some of their medical expenses. 

State lawmakers also approved a privately-funded relief fund for Newtown's affected first responders and teachers. Police said they are using the state-managed fund to pay for lost work time.

Police union members said they appreciate the help but they need a long-term solution. Officers said once the relief funds expire, they expect problems getting reimbursed for possible future lost work time. That's one reason why they're fighting for long-term workers compensation benefits. 

However, the police union said Newtown is denying the officers access to long-term workers compensation benefits. 

"Up to this point, the employer and the insurance company disagree that the post-traumatic stress disorder is a physical injury," union attorney Eric Brown said. "They categorize it as strictly a mental injury and therefore won't provide benefits."

Current state workers compensation law does not cover mental impairments unless they stem from physical injuries, but the police union said Newtown's first selectman could be doing more to help.

"I think it's short-sided on her part in that she's looking at the short-term costs and rejects our proposal out of financial reasons," Ruszczyk said.

First selectman Pat Llodra told the Troubleshooters it is hurtful for the officers to suggest she could be doing more. She said she cannot legally require the town's insurance carrier to approve the workers comp applications.

"If there's something I could legally do, I would," Llodra said. "They're asking for something I don't have the capacity to do."

State lawmakers could soon change that. If passed, Senate Bill 823 would cover mental injuries for anyone who is subject to a mass casualty incident on the job.

State Senator Cathy Osten said 15 other states already cover this sort of event.

"If we're going to take the issues of mental health seriously, we have to take them seriously on all levels," Osten said.

However, State Senator Joe Markley said the added coverage would be too expensive for cities, towns and employers.

"You're opening the door to unknown amounts of liability and even a small town could get hit with something that would cost it millions and millions of dollars," Markley said.

Markley added a similar Connecticut workers comp law was in place 20 years ago, but it had to be repealed because of its cost impact on towns.

If a new law is passed, there's a strong chance it would not be retroactive for Newtown's officers.

"Hopefully the change in legislation will protect the guys in the future and we'll figure out how to retroactively take care of the guys that were impacted by Sandy Hook," Ruszczyk said.

Llodra said she will try to find additional funding for the state-managed fund that is helping first responders and teachers.

SB 823 is scheduled to be voted on within the next few weeks.

When students of the Prendergast School in Ansonia go out to play in their new playground, it will be in honor of Catherine Hubbard, a 6-year-old girl from Newtown who was killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December.

To renew hope in the face of tragedy, so the 5,000-member New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association is building playgrounds to honor the 26 victims of Sandy Hook in areas that were ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.

On Wednesday, the group built a playground named for Catherine Hubbard at the school in Ansonia.

“The community could come back to a place where they can just be carefree and innocent,” Jenny Hubbard, Catherine’s mother said.

Hubbard embraced the project, along with her son, Fredrick Hubbard, 8, who was equipped with a hard hat and tool belt to help put it together.

“I like to build,” said Fredrick Hubbard.

Jenny Hubbard said the playground was a perfect way to honor her daughter.

“We had moved this past summer, and … left the swing set, and she was mad that we didn’t bring the swing set with us to the new house. So for us, this is giving her back the swing set,” Jenny Hubbard said.

The Catherine Hubbard Playground will have swings and it will be decorated in pink and purple, Catherine Hubbard’s favorite colors.

“Kids are going to play … in honor of Catherine, to celebrate her life as opposed to being remembered for a very horrific day in our history,” Bill Lavin, of the NJ Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, said on Wednesday.

Lavin said the location of the playground is meaningful because Ansonia is still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

Playgrounds across the tri-state area will also be dedicated to the other 25 victims of the Newtown school shooting.

The $3 million project is spearheaded by the New Jersey State Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association.

Orange County Choppers, the world-famous New York-based company that makes popular custom motorcycles, is hosting a fundraiser with DJ Pauly D, of MTV’s “Jersey Shore,” to benefit Newtown.

The benefit will be on Friday, May 10, at 9 p.m. at OCC's main corporate office in Newburgh, New York, and proceeds will benefit the Newtown Youth and Family Services. 

Anyone can go to the benefit, but those 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult and you must be at least 21 to consume alcohol.

General admission tickets are $50.

VIP tickets are $125, and include a meet and greet with photo in the OCC Retail Mezzanine with DJ Pauly D and Paul Teutul Sr., of world famous Orange County Choppers and the Discovery Channel’s “American Chopper,” as well as a general admission ticket, refreshments and a gift bag.

Pauly D is a bike enthusiast and Teutul said OCC built him a bike. it is a surprised that will be unveiled at the event.

General admission tickets and VIP credentials will be mailed to you and you must present both at the door to enter the event.

The VIP event will start promptly at 8 p.m., so arrive 15 to 20 minutes earlier to ensure entry.

OCC is located at 14 Crossroads Court, Newburgh, New York.
 
You must have a ticket to attend the event.


 

The Sandy Hook Commission is meeting in Hartford on Friday and will be focusing on mental health services.

Behavioral health professionals will make presentations on the topics of violence and trauma.

Malloy created the 16-member Sandy Hook Advisory Commission after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 students and six educators. The commission is tasked to review the state's current public safety policy and make recommendations for improvement.


 

The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation plans by May 23 to distribute $7.7 million to the 40 families most severely impacted by the December shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown and public meetings will be held about distributing the funds.

Twenty students and six educators were killed in the shooting.

The committee, after meetings with families, decided to provide one, all-inclusive disbursement rather than an initial disbursement followed by future disbursements. The amount to be distributed has increased from $4 million to $7.7 million, which is a majority of the fund. 

The distribution committee will hold two public hearings in Newtown to gather public input on the distribution. 

One will take place on Tuesday May 7, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Wednesday May 8, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  A location is yet to be determined

Retired Federal Judge Alan Nevas will serve as chairman of the distribution committee.  

Newtown residents Dr. John Woodall, founder and director of The Unity Project, a resilience-building program for youth; and Joe Smialowski, a senior executive at Citigroup, are members of the committee and Attorney Kenneth Feinberg will serve as special advisor to the committee. None will receive compensation.

“Throughout his distinguished career Judge Nevas has been known for his thoughtfulness, fairness and integrity.  In our meetings with the families of those most severely impacted by the events of 12/14, the one thing we heard more than any other was their desire to have an independent third party involved in the process. The inclusion of Judge Nevas on this distribution committee with Dr. Woodall and Joe Smialowski is in keeping with the Foundation’s by-laws and brings a qualified, unimpeachable third party into the process,” Dr. Charles Herrick, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, said in a statement.

"I am honored to assist the distribution committee in designing and administering a compensation program. My sole objective is to distribute available compensation by May 23, 2013 to all eligible claimants without any restriction or precondition,” Feinberg said. “I look forward to working closely with the committee in their efforts to help the healing process for the families most severely impacted by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the greater Newtown community.”
 

The tragedy of the Boston Marathon hits home in Connecticut, which sent more than 400 runners to the big race, but it’s also significant because the marathon honored victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The race is 26.2 miles long and the Newtown Strong Fund dedicated each mile to one of the 26 victims of the shooting.

There was a 26-second long moment of silence at the beginning of the race and a special marker was placed at the 26-mile mark.

The marker includes the Newtown city seal surrounded by 26 stars, one for each victim.

Laura Nowacki, a spokeswoman for the Newtown Strong Fund, and the mother of a shooting survivor is OK.

Lisa Abrams, whose husband, Thomas is one of nine runners with Team Newtown Strong, spoke with the Connecticut Post and said her husband sent her a text about the explosion.

"Newtown cannot handle any more of this," Lisa Abrams told the Post, "We don't need any more stress, no more heartache.''

Karen Alexander, of Sandy Hook, was supposed to run, but stayed home, said all the runners from the group are safe.
 

The mother of a Newtown shooting victim will deliver the weekly presidential radio and Internet address, according to the White House.

President Barack Obama typically gives the talk and focuses on a topic that's in the news or a policy the White House is pushing and this is the first time in Obama’s administration that someone other than the president or vice president will give the address.

This week, Obama has asked Francine Wheeler, mother of 6-year-old Ben, to deliver the address instead.

Wheeler and her husband, David, lost their young son in the December schoolhouse shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.

A month after the shooting, the Wheelers spoke publicly with members of Sandy Hook Promise, asking for action to prevent more violence.

“We are not done being the best possible parents we can be for Ben, not by a very long measure,” David Wheeler said at the time. “If there is something in our society that needs to be fixed, clearly healed or resolved, that resolution needs a point of origin. It needs parents.”

Then, he posed the question to parents everywhere of what it is worth to them to keep their children safe.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama believes the voices of Newtown families have been critical to progress on gun control.

When asked if this was the first time in history someone other than the President has delivered the weekly address, Carney said the only person other than President Obama to deliver the address in this administration was Vice President Joe Biden.

The families who lost loved ones during the shooting have been in Washington lobbying members of Congress.

The Senate cleared its first hurdle for gun control legislation on Thursday and will consider expanded background checks next week.

The weekly address is posted on the White House Web site.

As the U.S. Senate debates federal gun control policies, U.S. Chris Murphy is asking Rupert Murdoch, chairman and CEO of News Corporation, not to broadcast the NASCAR NRA 500 race on Fox Sports.

News Corporation owns Fox Sports, which is scheduled to air the race this Saturday, April 13.

“The race not only brings national attention to an organization that has been the face of one side of this heated debate, it also features the live shooting of guns at the end of the race,” Murphy wrote in a letter to Murdoch. “This celebration of guns is inappropriate in the immediate wake of the Newtown massacre. But most importantly, broadcasting this race, which will highlight the NRA and its radical agenda during this time, sends a harmful signal to the families affected by gun violence, as well as the millions of Americans who support sensible gun control measures and enjoy your sports programming.”

President Barack Obama launched a national task force to come up with recommendations to reduce gun violence after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 first-grade students and six educators were killed.

Murphy has been a central figure in the national debate.

“Considering your support of sane gun control measures and the extreme nature of the NRA, I urge you to not broadcast this race on April 13th.  Inserting Fox Sports in this debate at this critical time will give credence to an extreme organization that is opposed to reasonable policies to stem gun violence,”  Murphy wrote.

Last month, Murphy sent a letter to NASCAR CEO Brian France, asking him to reconsider his decision to sanction the race and prevent the NRA from having the title role.

Murphy’s entire letter to Murdoch is posted below:

April 11, 2013
 
Mr. Rupert Murdoch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
News Corporation
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10036
 
Dear Mr. Murdoch: 
 
I write today to urge you to not broadcast NASCAR’s NRA 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 13th.  This race, which is being sponsored by the National Rifle Association (NRA), is going to take place during the Senate’s consideration of legislation to reduce gun violence. The race not only brings national attention to an organization that has been the face of one side of this heated debate, it also features the live shooting of guns at the end of the race. This celebration of guns is inappropriate in the immediate wake of the Newtown massacre. But most importantly, broadcasting this race, which will highlight the NRA and its radical agenda during this time, sends a harmful signal to the families affected by gun violence, as well as the millions of Americans who support sensible gun control measures and enjoy your sports programming.
 
The horror that unfolded on December 14th at Sandy Hook Elementary School has sparked a national conversation about the adequacy of our gun laws.  You, News Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Fox News, should contribute and continue to cover this discussion. Given that you have been outspoken in your support of gun reform, it is the height of irony that some would perceive that your company would now essentially endorse the NRA’s extreme position against such laws by broadcasting this event.
 
Shortly after the tragedy in Newtown, you called on policymakers and the President to strengthen our gun laws, asking, “when will politicians find courage to ban automatic weapons?” This valid question will be answered when the Senate considers major reforms to our gun laws in early to mid-April.  As a senator, I can tell you that many of us possess the courage, and will strongly advocate for sensible gun reforms to take assault weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets and require all gun purchasers to submit for a background check. 
 
You also challenged President Obama to show bold leadership on this issue after he addressed the nation.  I believe that the President has shown incredible leadership since the tragedy by trying to help our country, my state, and the community of Newtown heal in the wake of this terrible event.  I would like to make a similar challenge to you.  You should play a constructive role in our national dialogue by refraining from broadcasting the NRA 500.  By airing this race you will be strengthening the brand of a radical organization that is currently standing in the way of meaningful progress on this issue. Today’s NRA bears little resemblance to the one of its founding.  It stokes fear and perpetuates a perverse interpretation of the Second Amendment in order to sell more guns and fuel larger donations from gun manufacturers.  After the events of Newtown, Aurora, Oak Creek, and so many other senseless tragedies, the NRA continues to say that the only solution to gun violence is more guns.  It even disavows common sense measures, like universal background checks for gun purchases - a policy that enjoys the support of 74 percent of its members and that it advocated for in 1999.  
 
Considering your support of sane gun control measures and the extreme nature of the NRA, I urge you to not broadcast this race on April 13th.  Inserting Fox Sports in this debate at this critical time will give credence to an extreme organization that is opposed to reasonable policies to stem gun violence.  Thank you in advance for your consideration.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Christopher S. Murphy
United States Senator

The stories of the teachers and students killed in the Newtown school shooting were alive on Capitol Hill Thursday morning, recalled by their family members and lawmakers moments before the first crucial vote on federal gun legislation conceived in the aftermath of the December massacre.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) recalled 6-year-old Dylan Hockley, who died in the arms of his “beloved” special education aide. He and fellow U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) read the names of the 26 victims killed in the attack. Blumenthal paused to point out that, “these names are people whose funerals and vigils I’ve attended,” and people whose lives and families he has come to know over the past four months.

The relatives of two victims—Sandy Hook principal Dawn Hochsprung and teacher Victoria Soto—were also on hand to make a final plea for a vote, which had been threatened by some Republicans who had vowed to filibuster.

“We are allowed to have some peace of mind that our loved ones didn’t die for no reason,” Jillian Soto, Victoria’s sister, said. “They deserve to have died for a reason.”

Their presence in Washington this past week is part of a wider effort by gun control advocates to keep the memories of the victims killed in the Connecticut attack at the forefront of lawmakers’ minds as they begin debate on the first major gun control bill to reach the Senate floor in years.

Sen. Blumenthal credits the families' meetings with lawmakers in Washington this week for the outcome of Thursday's session. The Senate voted on Thursday to begin debate next week.

"The Newtown families had a profound effect," Blumenthal said in an interview. "Their presence really turned the tide. Their faces and voices were absolutely pivotal."

"There's nothing so powerful as listening to the stories of their experiences," he added.

Those stories were told and retold this week, begining Sunday evening, when more than a dozen parents and relatives of those killed at the elementary school shared stories and photos of their late loved-ones on an emotional “60 Minutes” segment. It continued Monday in Hartford, Conn., where President Barack Obama commended the state for passing some of the toughest gun laws in the country and urged federal lawmakers to heed their example.

“This is not about politics,” Obama said. “This is about these families and families all across the country who are saying, ‘Let’s make it a little harder for our kids to get gunned down.’”

Eleven Newtown residents, tragically linked to the school shooting, then traveled with the president aboard Air Force 1 to Washington, where they fanned out to meet with lawmakers as the first rumors of filibuster began to swirl.

Some took their campaign to social media.

Erica Lafferty, the daughter of Sandy Hook principal Hochsprung, tweeted the names of senators who would not return her calls: “Paul, Lee, Cruz, Rubio, Moran, Inhofe, Burr, Johnson, Enzi, Risch, Crapo, Coats, Roberts and McConnell – call me back! IM NOT GOING AWAY!” she wrote beneath a picture of her and her mother.

She later told the New York Times that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was the only one to call her back.  “I asked him what he thought would have happened if my mom chose not to do her job,” Lafferty told the Times. “How many more people would have died if my mom had chosen to hide.”

Cruz voted against continuing debate, though Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) voted to proceed.

The proposed legislation, which includes a bipartisan agreement on background checks announced Wednesday, cleared the first important hurdle Thursday, but still faces an uncertain road ahead. Lawmakers voted 68-31 to proceed with debate though it’s unclear whether the bill will receive the necessary votes next week when the stakes are higher.

Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who joined Blumenthal and Murphy Thursday morning, expressed concern over “pernicious amendments trying to undo the good things we’re trying to do.” He said he was particularly worried about a “reciprocal concealed carry” amendment Republican Senators may try to tack onto the bill in exchange for their vote.

The bill’s fate also came under attack from the National Rifle Association, which released a letter Wednesday night warning lawmakers that “votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA’s future candidate evaluations.” The letter, signed by NRA lobbyist Chris Cox, added that the group would “oppose any amendments offered to [the legislation] that restrict fundamental Second Amendment freedoms … This includes the misguided ‘compromise’ proposal drafted by Sens. Joe Manchin, Pat Toomey and Chuck Schumer.”

Still, Schumer expressed optimism that special interest groups working to block gun control measures have “reached their peak and will be on the decline” and insisted that the family members of Sandy Hook victims who have traveled to Washington this week to garner support for the bill are having an impact.

“With the candles you have lit in honor of the ones you’ve lost, the light is returning to Washington,” Schumer told the family members who joined him on the Senate floor Thursday. “Because you’ve forced senators and congressmen to look into your eyes and see what’s going on, I believe now that there will be a decade of light.”

Newtown families were scheduled to leave Washington Thursday afternoon, after what they called a successful trip.

“As hard as it has been for us to make this journey, it was truly worthwhile and gives us the strength to return to participate as the debate progresses,” they wrote. “We believe that transformation can spring from the depths of tragedy.  We hope we can look back on today as the first step."

Residents of Newtown have been out in front of town hall since noon on Wednesday, reading more than 3,300 names of those lost to gun violence all over the country since December 14.

They hope it will send a message to members of Congress before a crucial vote on gun control. The U.S. Senate will take up the bill on Thursday.

Newtown families also headed to Washington, where Vicki Soto's sister Jillian read outside the nation's Capitol.

"I'm here today because my sister is unable to be here, and I'm here to honor her and demand something be done. Demand we get a vote," Soto said.

It's a vote some senators have tried to stop from coming up for debate on Thursday. Yet on Wednesday night in front of Edmond Town Hall, Newtown Action Alliance tried to make sure the debate moves forward.

"We're trying to send a message that we want a vote. We want a vote now and shame on the senators for trying to filibuster this," said Monte Frank, who added that people of Newtown deserve at least a discussion on gun legislation, -including universal background checks.

"We really want to be remembered as the place not where this unspeakable tragedy occurred but from the ashes we've risen and tried to engage some meaningful change," Frank said.

Norwalk Councilwoman Anna Duleep struggled through her time at the podium, especially when reading the name of a Norwalk police officer.

"For a lot of us, our hearts broke before December 14," Duleep said. "[We need] to show that we are Newtown. Whether it's Norwalk, here physically in Newtown, or whether it's California, we all could be struck next."

Organizers said they'll be at town hall until noon Thursday to wait for a vote.

Thursday could be the day the U.S. Senate takes up gun control legislation.

On Tuesday Sandy Hook family members walked the hallways on Capitol Hill. They went door to door visiting senators to try and press them to vote on new gun control laws.

The families are trying to convince Republican lawmakers to bring a bill to the floor for a vote.

"It is insulting to the families from Sandy Hook who've gone through this tragedy to not even get a vote on the floor of the United States Senate," Sen. Chris Murphy, said.

Some Republicans have said they planned to filibuster the legislation although a handful of other GOP members were against that.

The proposal would expand background checks, ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines.

Senator Richard Blumenthal said the families deserve an up or down vote.

"Like most of America they are a aghast that a small group of entrenched opposition could stop democracy," Sen. Blumenthal said.

On Monday President Barack Obama made the push for new federal gun control laws at the University of Hartford.

He said Connecticut's bi-partisan law should serve as an example to Washington. Last week many of the of the Sandy Hook families personally lobbied lawmakers at the State Capitol.

"My expectations for Congress are high," Nicole Hockley, mother of 6-year-old Dylan, said Monday. "I believe with that with the same approach of love and logic Congress will be persuaded to act"

The families hope to personally persuade lawmakers over the next few days.

Governor Dannel Malloy even took to Twitter urging Republicans to call the families back.

Tuesday morning Vice President Joe Biden met with the families before speaking at a gun violence event.

"They don't understand how we could even be at this point debating this," Biden said.
 

A gun rights group plans to file legal action in response to the new gun control law. Governor Dannel Malloy signed that legislation into law last Thursday.

The Connecticut Citizens Defense League says the law is unconstitutional. The group now has 6,000 members. Many of them spent weeks making the case at the State Capitol.

"Oh yes, there will be legal action," Scott Wilson, CCDL's president, said. "That's a given at this point."

Wilson and his members believe the bill was rushed through the General Assembly. He said there is a lot of confusion about it.

"We're being flooded with requests as far as what is legal and what is not," Wilson said.

He argues that the new law punishes law abiding citizens. They are already raising money to pay for legal action.

State Attorney General George Jepsen said there are no pending lawsuits but he knows that will change.

"We fully anticipate that there will be lawsuits filed," Jepsen said. "We are preparing to defend the new law. The new law is Constitutional and will stand scrutiny and we will vigorously defend it."

The daughter of the school principal killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre called out U.S. senators who are threatening a filibuster on gun control for failing to take her phone calls, and Gov. Dannel Malloy lent his voice this afternoon to help her get calls back.

Erica Lafferty tweeted on Tuesday that she was going through the list of U.S. senators threatening to filibuster and calling them one by one. On Tuesday morning, she tweeted a photo of her sister’s wedding where the bride is kissing her mother’s check.

"I don’t get one of these at my wedding in June," she tweeted.

One senator, Ted Cruz of Texas, agreed to call her back. So she called others out for not calling her back.

"I'll never see my mom again because she was gunned down in Sandy Hook. I don't deserve to be heard?" she tweeted to members of Congress.    

A newsletter posted on the website for Sen. Cruz says he "has pledged to use any procedural means necessary to ensure Congress does not pass any laws infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens."

Sen. Cruz spoke with Lafferty by phone for 15 to 20 minutes Tuesday afternoon, according to a source.

Through Twitter, Lafferty told the lawmakers that she is not going away.

Lafferty tweeted at Cruz, along with Sens. Marco Rubio, Jim Inhofe, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Jerry Moran, Richard Burr, Ron Johnson, Mike Enzi, Jim Risch, Mike Crapo, Dan Coats and Pat Roberts.

Then Gov. Malloy got involved, tweeting each of the lawmakers.

"Please call @E_Laffs2 back. The families deserve to be heard, and they deserve a vote," Malloy tweeted.

Andrew Doba, director of communications for Malloy, said the governor’s office wanted to lend its voice to the effort.

Several families who lost loved ones in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December traveled to Washington on Monday with President Barack Obama to assist with lobbying efforts on federal gun control legislation. 

The Connecticut Insurance Department and the UConn Health Center are collaborating to help families struggling to get mental health treatment paid through their insurance, according to Gov. Dannel Malloy.

Malloy said the department and the health center are developing a “user-friendly ‘claims tool kit’” for policyholders and providers, including out-of-network providers who operate on cash basis.

The goal, according to a news release from Malloy’s office, is to reduce the number of insurance denials.

“No one should have to overcome mountains of red tape when they are trying to access mental health services,” Malloy said. “This collaboration allows us to leverage the respective expertise of the Insurance Department and the UConn Health Center to put in place a common-sense approach to what can be a profoundly frustrating process. I commend the Insurance Department and the Health Center for their commitment to improving mental health care access for residents.”


Access to mental health services is part of the governor’s multi-prong plan to reduce gun violence in response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown in December. 

“It’s been the Department’s observations that incomplete or incorrect information, coding errors, and other documentation issues are often the cause of claims denials requiring multiple appeals. We don’t want families having to fight to get the care they need,” Deputy Insurance Commissioner Anne Melissa Dowling, who oversees the Department’s health insurance initiatives, said.

Malloy said the claims tool kit, which should be complete this summer, is the first in a series of behavioral health projects the Insurance Department and Health Center are undertaking to assist consumers and providers.
 

The Newtown and Pomperaug High School Varsity Baseball teams have been championship rivals for the past few years, and this year they are bringing their competition to another level, making it an event and calling it “A Game to Remember.”

Their regular-season scheduled game this spring will be played as a tribute to honor those whose lives were taken at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown this past December, as well as the first responders who entered the building and stayed with the families throughout the day.

Pomperaug coach Mike Eisenbach, a Newtown native, attended Sandy Hook Elementary School himself and that is just one of the many reasons that he called Newtown coach Matt Memoli to propose the idea.

The two coaches agreed to use a field in Bridgeport, which the Bridgeport Bluefish have approved to cover the cost if more than 1,000 spectators attend.

“Our teams want to give something back to the people of Newtown and remember the many men and women who worked tirelessly that day,” Eisenbach said. We hope the weather is good and many families from throughout Connecticut, including locally, come for a great night of baseball.”

The game will be played in Bridgeport at the Harbor Yard on April 25 at 6 p.m.

In lieu of an admission fee, cash and check donations will be accepted on behalf of the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department.

 

When President Barack Obama came to Connecticut to make a national push for federal gun control legislation, he met privately with 11 relatives of victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School and left with a reminder of one teacher who died trying to protect her young students.

When Obama came off Air Force One, he was carrying a red paper bag and White House officials said it contained T-shirts from Vicki Soto’s sister Jillian, White House officials said. 

Vicki Soto, 27, of Stratford, was a first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A memorial fund has been set up in her honor.

If you would like to make a donation, may make checks payable to the Victoria L. Soto Memorial Fund for Education and mail the check to:

The Victoria Soto Memorial Fund 
P.O Box 411
Stratford, CT 06615

Or, make a donation at the Official Victoria L. Soto Website www.vickisotomemorial.com.
 

More than a dozen Newtown parents directly and tragically linked to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, candidly recalled the December day that changed their lives in an emotional "60 Minutes" segment that aired Sunday night.

They spoke of frantic phone calls and fraying nerves as the day wore on and parents gathered at the local firehouse had still not located their children.

"There were people everywhere ...  and you really had to push to get through," said Nicole Hockley, the mother of one of the first-graders in Victoria Soto's class, killed in the attack. "We were all just jostling because we were trying to find our kids."

The interview aired on the eve of a big lobbying day for gun control supporters, which brought President Barack Obama to the University of Hartford and will send 11 relatives of Sandy Hook victims, including Hockley, to Washington where they will push for federal gun control legislation. In the "60 Minutes" segment, parents and relatives made an emotional plea for more stringent background checks and limits to the size of ammunition magazines.

"You can have a million bullets but if you have to put them in one at a time, the ability to do any kind of real damage is significantly reduced," said Bill Sherlock, the husband of Sandy Hook school psychologist Mary Sherlock, who died confronting shooter Adam Lanza. "It's simple arithmetic. If you have to change magazines 15 times instead of five times you have three more instances where something could jam," something could go wrong and potential victims can escape as 11 students did during a lull in Lanza's shooting rampage, he added.

While the gun control debate was certainly the backdrop of the interview and what called the victims' relatives to the studio, the focus, more than anything, remained fixed on the memory of their children and loved ones, and their experiences on and since Dec. 14.

Hockley remembered the relief of finding her son Jake, suddenly shattered by the uncomfortable reminder that her other son Dylan, who had not yet been found, may not have survived.

"A woman asked me, 'what classroom was your other child in?' And I said, Miss Soto's. And she said, 'I heard she got shot.' And I got really angry at her and I remember very clearly saying, 'don't you dare say that to me if you don't know it's true.'" Hockley said. Teacher Victoria Soto did in fact die in the attack.

"I just pushed by her but I couldn't find Dylan's classroom or anyone from his class anywhere," said Hockley.

It was Gov. Dannel Malloy who finally, hours after the last shots were fired, broke the news to parents gathered in a back room at the firehouse.

"[He] had the duty to stand in front of the room and tell us that if we were in that room then our child or adult wasn't coming back to us," Hockley recalled.

Jimmy Greene, the father of Ana Marquez-Greene, who also died in the shooting, spoke about finding his other child, who also attended Sandy Hook, safe and terrified.

"I saw my son's teacher in a living room area ... Isaiah popped up and I just went and grabbed him and held him and he was crying, 'Daddy, you know, there were so many gunshots. I saw this and I saw that,'" Greene recalled. "So I just took my son in my arms—he's a big kid, but I took him like he was two years old again and held him on my shoulder and was just running and running from room to room trying to locate Ana's class."

His wife, Nelba Marquez-Greene, who is also among the group flying to Washington Monday evening, was driving to Sandy Hook when she learned that their son was okay.

"I was texting [Jimmy] every ten or fifteen seconds," she said. "Ana, question mark. And then Ana, exclamation point. Because we had Isaiah. I didn't understand why we didn't have Ana."

When she arrived at the school and later the firehouse and was eventually told to head into a back room, she didn't want to go.

"I knew what the back room meant. In my heart, as a mother, I knew what the back room meant."

Some of the most touching testimony regarded how the parents are coping with the absence of the quirky kids who were at the center of their lives.

Francine Wheeler said she dreams of her son Benjamin all the time. "And we talk," she said. "And he and I talk when I take my walks. And I just feel him. If I ask him to be present he is. And I know he'll always be there."

Jackie Barden said she feels distance growing between her and her son Daniel, who died in the shooting. "Sometimes it's too painful to think about him. And then I feel guilty because I need to think about him and keep him alive, but it's so hard because we miss him so much."

Nicole Hockley said that she keeps Dylan's cremated remains next to his photo in her bedroom. "Every morning I kiss him good morning and say hi. And he's the last thing I kiss before I go to bed at night. And every night I beg for him to come to me in my dreams so I can see him again. And during the day, I just focus on what I can do to honor him and make change."

Hockley and 10 other members of the Sandy Hook Promise, a non-profit pushing for federal gun control legislation, will fly aboard Air Force 1 with the president to Washington Monday night, where they will spend the week lobbying Congress for change. They represent nine victims killed in the Sandy Hook shooting.

Now that the state of Connecticut has enacted new, sweeping gun laws, Sandy Hook Promise, a group of Newtown residents, is focused on Washington to press for federal gun control legislation and some members will be making the trip to D.C. next week.

Before Gov. Dannel Malloy put ink to the paper that created the toughest gun control law in the nation on Thursday, Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was killed at Sandy Hool Elementary School, was thinking about national legislation.

"This makes me hopeful that despite everything we’ve been reading. the U.S. Senate will also take the time to listen to us when we go to Washington next week," she said.

On Thursday, Sandy Hook Promise wrote a letter asking Congress to act now.

The families wrote that the never imagined that they would be “enmeshed in a national discussion of gun violence,” and made recommendations in the hopes that it will prevent other families from enduring the loss they are living with.

“It is important that you understand at the outset that we believe the 2nd Amendment protects the individual right of Americans to own guns. We live in a typical American community and those of us who do not own guns have neighbors, friends or relatives who do. We believe the vast majority of gun owners are responsible and law abiding; we do not support any law that would “take” or “confiscate” guns from law abiding citizens,” they wrote. “But no rights are absolute; with all rights come responsibilities.”

The families are asking for background checks for every gun sale and that Congress limit the sale of large-capacity ammunition magazines.

They are also asking for firearms trafficking and straw purchases to become federal crimes. 

“We are under no illusion that making these changes will end gun violence or prevent all mass shootings.  That, however, cannot be the test that determines whether America chooses to act or remain complacent.  These measures will surely save many lives.  And they will prevent other families from experiencing our grief,” the families wrote.

Before the group goes to Washington, they will rally outside Hartford City Hall this morning,  starting at 11:30 a.m.

“We have promised that Newtown will be remembered not for our tragedy, but for transformation, and you have the power to help fulfill that promise,” the letter states.

You can read the full letter on the Sandy Hook Promise Web site. 
 

Soon after Gov. Dannel Malloy signed the new gun law into effect on Thursday, the National Shooting Sports Foundation issued a statement saying it is “carefully studying all provisions of the law for possible challenge in the courts.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation, based in Newtown, a trade association for the firearms and ammunition industry, issued the following statement:

“Gov. Dannel Malloy today signed into law a package of gun control legislation that was assembled in secret by a small group of state legislators and that never received a public hearing.  Most legislators had little time to even read the actual bill language.
 
“The unfortunate results of this process, which made it appear that all points of view were being heard when in fact true expertise was shut out when it was most needed, means that mistakes in what is now enacted law will have to be corrected.
 
“For example, language in the new law specifies a procedure for licensed firearms retailers to perform mandatory “universal” background checks on private party transactions that is not permissible based on federal law and regulations governing the National Instant Criminal Background Checks (NICS) system.  As we read it, this mistake in lawmaking means that all private party transactions in the state now cannot be accomplished legally. 
 
“We share the goal of wanting to make Connecticut safer for our citizens following the unspeakable tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. In the end, however, public safety has not been enhanced and the unintended consequences of behind-closed-doors lawmaking will cause considerable confusion until the General Assembly corrects its mistakes.
 
“Here is where we stand today.  Law-abiding citizens of this state now have greater restrictions on their Second Amendment and state constitutional rights while Connecticut’s firearms manufacturers will be forced to seriously weigh the impact on their businesses and their employees of the state’s double-standard of you can build it here, but not sell it here, public policy formulation.    
 
“We will be carefully studying all provisions of the law for possible challenge in the courts.”


 

Whether you were for or against the gun reforms the General Assembly has passed and sent to Gov. Dannel Malloy, there was passion on both sides of the coin Wednesday night.

"Is it the best laws possible? No but it's a start and the rest of the country was watching," said Kate Mayer, who watched from the Senate balcony as the vote came through. "You can make the connections, you can make the phone calls and you can gather and Facebook and you can change your profile picture. At the end, it matters because history was made.”

Silvia Harper of Newtown said: "We set an example for the country and we have to stop fixating on the divisiveness of the issue and focus on what we can accomplish."

The bipartisan support makes all the difference," Harper added.

Critics of the bill remain concerned, like Arthur Tiede of Southington.

"The bipartisanship was worn probably as a badge but in theory, I think the Republicans in the Senate basically gave up," he said.

Tiede said he supports stricter laws but thinks some of the plan is completely unnecessary. He feels the Senate allowed too much emotion to affect their decision making.

"I don't think it's going to accomplish all they say it will," Tiede said.

Ron Pinciaro, of Connecticut Against Gun Violence, said the mood was difficult to deal with in the morning.

"It started off badly. There were a lot of them here," said Pinciaro, who added that he understands the passion against this bill, but feels they've done the right thing and it's something the rest of the country should learn from.

"And they understood that they had been honored in that way by the legislature and by the people of Connecticut," Pinciaro said.

It's just ridiculous to take something from you that's rightfully yours,” Twila Thibeault, of Ledyard, said.

“A majority of the people had recognized that a tipping point had been reached, that we were ready for rational common sense changes to our current gun laws,” Nancy Lefkowitz, of March for Change, said.

“Just throwing a ban at everything and taking away people's rights is not going to bring those poor kids back,” Marc Navaroli, of East Windsor, said.

"That's awesome. Can’t just get a gun these days, you’ve got to have credentials. No felonies no nothing," Leo Stephenson, of New Haven, said.

"It’s in infringement on to a certain degree,” Peter Flemister, of New Haven, said. “They’re gonna find a way to get it."

"I think there are lots of components of the bill that are very good, particularly the background one," David Freedman, of the Newtown Action Alliance, said.

“That just means that the criminals are not going to follow the laws that they're passing.  Only the law-abiding citizens are gonna,” David Knutson, of Canaan, said.

Nicole Hockley, who lost her son Dylan in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting released a statement.

"I am grateful that the Governor and Connecticut Legislature took a bipartisan path to a strong gun responsibility bill. I particularly appreciate that the Legislature listened to us and strengthened the provision on large capacity magazine size.  As someone who is new to the process and here only out of necessity, I am pleased with what we accomplished without rancor, with love."

“What happened on the 14th sort of precipitated what we’re doing here -- rattled us to the core. Every one of us in our own way said we’d do everything that we can so that never happens again,” House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero said.

“Hopefully, that is some measure of comfort to the victims of Newtown. I think we owed it to them to take this seriously,” House Speaker Brendan Sharkey said.

Gun control advocates hope the action taken in Connecticut will become an example for other states and Congress to follow.
 

Newly released documents on Newtown shooter Adam Lanza's brief college career add a few small details about his life but do little to answer any questions about what motivated him to kill.

The Western Connecticut State University paperwork, released Tuesday, outline Lanza's attempts, after completing his high school credits early, to continue his education.

In May 2008, just after his 16th birthday, Lanza took an algebra placement exam, saying in his background questionnaire that he did not want to indicate his gender or anything about his background. He scored a 95.9.

That summer, Lanza took two computer science classes, earning an A and an A-minus, the documents show. He followed up in the fall with another computer science class, which he withdrew from, and a philosophy class titled "Introduction to Ethical Theory," in which he earned a C.

Lanza began the spring 2009 semester with classes in German and American history, but apparently dropped his studies soon afterward.

The records end there.

Nearly four years later, on Dec. 14, 2012, Lanza, 20, killed his mother at home in Newtown and drove to Sandy Hook Elementary School, where he gunned down 20 first-graders and six educators before committing suicide.

Investigators searched the Lanza home and found a massive cache of guns, knives, swords and ammunition, according to documents released by authorities last week.

Those documents not only described a household enamored with guns, but also raised questions about what Lanza's 52-year-old mother, Nancy, knew about the danger that her son posed, and whether she was complicit in allowing him to obtain guns.

Among the paperwork taken from the home they shared were photographs of what appeared to be a bloody body, a New York Times article about a 2008 mass shooting at Northern Illinois University, self-help books for understanding the minds of people with Asperger's Syndrome and autism, a paperback entitled "Train Your Brain to Get Happy," a guide to pistol shooting and a holiday card containing a check Nancy Lanza wrote to Adam for the purchase of a firearm.

President Barack Obama demanded Monday in a fierce address in West Hartford that Congress bring new gun control proposals to a vote, just as a top Republican on Capitol Hill vowed to block one.

Earlier Monday afternoon, Obama had met with family members of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting massacre.

His speech at the University of Hartford was part of his national push to enact new, stricter gun control legislation, less than four months after 20 first-graders and six educators were gunned down in Newtown.

"Connecticut has shown the way, and now is the time for Congress to do the same — this week," Obama told his audience, before listing the key components of the Democratic-led gun control package.

"All of them are commonsense. All of them deserve a vote," he said. Afterward, he paused as his audience chanted, "we want a vote."

"Connecticut, this is not about me. This is not about politics. This is about doing the right things for all the families that are here," he said, his voice horses its pitch rose. "This is about these families and families all across the country who are saying, 'let's make it a little harder for our kids to get gunned down.'"

But even as the president urged Congress to allow an up-or-down vote in the Senate and warned the GOP not to filibuster, the Senate's top Republican said he would join a filibuster. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's office said Monday evening, in a statement released during Obama's speech, that he "will oppose cloture on proceeding to that bill."

Just before his speech, Obama had met privately with 11 relatives of seven first-graders and one educator killed in the Newtown massacre. Afterward, they were flying back to Washington with the president on Air Force One to personally plead with senators reluctant to back gun legislation.

Monday afternoon, Air Force One had first touched down at the Air National Guard base at Bradley Airport around 4:30 p.m. President Obama shook hands with dignitaries and some members of the military before climbing in his limousine and heading for the University of Hartford.

Security was heightened on the campus, as well as surrounding towns.

Bloomfield police warned that there would be road closures on Monday.

"On Monday April 8, 2013, the University of Hartford is expecting the President of the United States, Barack Obama, to visit the campus. As a result of this visit, the Town of Bloomfield is anticipating local access to be restricted in some areas with numerous road closures and major traffic delays during the evening commute in the surrounding areas of the university. The road closures and traffic delays should be expected from 4 p.m. until approximately 7 p.m. All motorists are strongly encouraged to make their travel plans with these delays in mind," a news release from Bloomfield police states.

West Hartford Police said they sent a message to residents of Portage Road, Sunny Reach Drive and Bloomfield Avenue to plan for possible traffic disruptions.

In the days after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Obama visited Newtown, visited privately with the families of the 20 students and six educators killed and attended an interfaith vigil.

Then, he asked Vice President Joe Biden to lead a task force to come up with ways to reduce gun violence.

During a news conference about gun control, he said he has a painting by one of the victims, Grace McDonnell, in his private study and it stands as a reminder of that tragic December day.

“I hung it in my private study, just out of the Oval Office. And every time I look at that painting, I think about Grace, and I think about the life that she lived, and the life that lay ahead of her, and most of all, I think about how, when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable among us, we must act now – for Grace, for the 25 other innocent children and devoted educators who had so much left to give,” Obama said in January.

State and federal gun control proposals have been met with mixed reaction. Families of the victims have asked for strict regulations, particularly for guns with large-capacity magazines, while guns rights groups have said law-abiding citizens’  will be penalized.

"The biggest obstacles going forward are some of the Sentate's obtuse procedural rules, like the 60-vote threshold," Sen. Richard Blumenthal said. "But also the stranglehold that the NRA and other special interest have succeeded in proposing in a generation or more."

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As lawmakers get ready to learn more about a gun control legislation deal that legislative leaders reached, families of victims killed in the Newtown school shooting are making an emotional plea that any law passed does not include a clause that grandfathers existing large-capacity magazines.

Twenty children and six educators were killed inside Sandy Hook Elementary School on the morning of Dec. 14, 2012.

In the letter the family members delivered to lawmakers on Monday, they wrote that the Sandy Hook shooter carried 10 magazines, which each held 30 bullets, and left many smaller magazines at home.

"Miraculously, in the time that it took him to reload in one of the classrooms, 11 children were able to escape and are alive today," the family members wrote in their letter to lawmakers. "We are left to wonder, what if the Sandy hook shooter had been forced to reload not 6 times but 15 times. Would more children, would our children, be alive today?"

The letter was delivered on the day that lawmakers are set to learn more about bipartisan legislation that legislative leadership has reached agreement on.

During a news conference on Monday morning, Nicole Hockley, mother of Dylan Hockley, spoke and asked for no grandfather clause.

Those who lost families said they believe that large-capacity magazines are the most dangerous feature of an assault weapon and fear that people would be able to buy high-capacity magazines in other states and bring them into Connecticut, claiming to have owned them before new laws took effect.

"Additionally, the 'grandfathered' possession of large capacity magazines is not in the public interest and exposes our communities to an unacceptable risk of additional mass shootings," the letter states.

Gov. Dannel Malloy released a statement in response to the letter.

"I have been clear for weeks that a ban on the possession and sale of high capacity magazines is an important part of our effort to prevent gun violence – simply banning their sale moving forward would not be an effective solution," Malloy wrote.

"This morning, we heard from victims’ families on that very point. They’ve asked for an up or down vote on that provision and, whether it’s in the larger bill or as an amendment, the families, and every resident of our state, deserve a vote. We know this is an issue that has bipartisan support, including from Senate Minority Leader John McKinney. We cannot lose sight of our ultimate goal – improving public safety for all of our residents, including our children."

In a poll released last month, Quinnipiac University's polling institute found that 70 percent of people support a statewide ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets, while 27 percent opposed it.

A Newtown home destroyed by a fire Wednesday was owned by a couple whose children survived the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in December.

The fire left Hans and Audra Barth and their three children homeless, according to Monsignor Robert Wise, of St. Rose of Lima Church.  The American Red Cross has put them up in a hotel and the church is collecting donations for the family.

Two of their children attended Sandy Hook Elementary School, including Peter, a first-grader in teacher Kaitlin Roig's classroom.  Roig has been called a hero for barricading her students in a bathroom as the shooter killed 20 other first-graders and six educators.

The Barth family lost everything in the fire, and their pet dog and several baby chickens died, but they are grateful to all be safe.

"I think the experience in December made us strong enough to see this as a small thing, because I mean, we're still going through the struggles of that, and it's beyond what one could imagine there," Hans Barth said Friday.  "This is just a house."

The Barths are still recovering from the tragedy of the shooting, but know others in Newtown are suffering more than they are.

"That day, we picked our kids up," Audra Barth said about Dec. 14.  "We picked them up, we took them home, we held them, we loved them.  This is our home, yes, but it's a house.  Our kids are safe."

The family has been overwhelmed by the support they've been shown by neighbors and strangers in town.

"It was just so amazing.  We never had to say 'help us.' Our community was there," Audra said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A close family friend, Christine Wilford, is helping collect donations for the Barths.  To donate, email Wilford at thewilfordfamily@gmail.com or donate to the Barth Family Fund here.

More than 100 people came to a demonstration with signs and lots of green to urge lawmakers to change gun laws in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

"We’re trying to get some gun laws changed and more common sense laws to protect shootings like this from happening again," said Brady Eggleston of Newtown.
 
The Newtown Action Alliance teamed up with concern citizens for a demonstration outside of the National Sports Shooting Federation, which is based in Newtown.

"Now I know exactly where the money’s coming from; I know exactly how the policies work, and I want to make sure my lawmakers are listening to my voice even though I’m not as well off as the NSSF and the NRA," said Kathy Mayer of Newtown.
 
Supporters of gun control at the rally said they want to see universal background checks, bans on assault rifles and limits on high-capacity magazines.
 
Gun rights advocates showed up outside the NSSF on Mile Hill Road to counter the rally on Thursday.

"I’m here to support the U.S. Constitution," said Gordon Jones, of Southbury.
 
Some argued Connecticut has very tough gun laws on the books now, and those laws should be better enforced.
 
"I think that it’s important that regardless that what comes out of the legislation that a thorough job is done, emotion is taken out of it and the rule of law is followed," said Ronald Wilcox, of Sandy Hook.
 
The National Sports Shooting Federation released a statement about Thursday's protest:

"We respect the rights of all citizens under our First Amendment to express their opinions in public.  We all share the goal of wanting to help make Connecticut safer for our children and all our citizens. That is why we have been speaking with legislators to promote practical measures that will effectively address the central issue of keeping firearms out of the hands of those who should not have access to them.”