Eight years later, Thompson remembers Sandy Hook victims
It was a supposed to be a safe place, but eight years ago the unthinkable happened at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
On Dec. 14, 2012 a then20-year- old shooter killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Of the 26 that were killed, 20 of them were children between the ages of 6 and 7. The shooter later killed himself along with his mother.
The incident is the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary or high school in U.S. history.
On Monday, Chairman of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D- St. Helena, released a statement marking the eight- year anniversar y since the shooting.
“Eight years ago, our nation watched as tragedy unfolded at Sandy Hook Elementary School,” Thompson said. “Twenty innocent children had their lives and futures cut short. Six incredible and dedicated educators were killed defending their students. Families were forever changed and an entire community faced unimaginable heartbreak that they still live with today. We have them all in our hearts today as we mark this tragic anniversary.
“In their honor, today we also renew our fight to end gun violence and pass meaningful legislation to help prevent this from ever happening again,” Thompson continued. “T his should have been accomplished long ago, but we must continue our fight to pass my bipartisan background checks legislation to help keep communities safe from this kind of tragedy. When we say enough is enough, we must act to ensure it’s truly the end of this violence.”
Soon after the 2012 shooting renewed debate about gun control in the United States took place, including proposals for making the backgroundcheck system universal, and for new federal and state legislation banning the sale and manufacture of certain types of semi-automatic firearms and magazines with more than ten rounds of ammunition.
However, hardly anything has changed. According to an article in Forbes this past month the gun industry is experiencing a record year for sales, fueled by fear from the pandemic and a desire for self-protection among civil unrest and rising crime. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted 35.75 million background checks through November of this year, breaking a record.
Attorney General William Tong also issued a statement on the eighth anniversary of the tragedy.
“The pain and heartbreak of that day has never dulled and I have not forgotten the victims and their families,” Tong said. “We honor them today with love, kindness and by committing to commonsense reforms that will ensure no more innocent lives are claimed and no family has to endure the grief of losing a loved one to gun violence. Today, I will hold my loved ones closer and say a prayer for the families who don’t have that chance anymore.”
The names of the 20 children that were lost that day are Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Ana M. Marquez-Greene, Dylan Hockley, Madeline F. Hsu, Catherine V. Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Ponzer, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler and Allison N. Wyatt.
The six teachers who were killed are Rachel Davino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach and Victoria Soto.