Memorial opens a decade after school massacre
NEWTOWN, Ct. — A memorial to the 20 first graders and six educators killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting opened to the public Sunday, a month before the 10th anniversary of the massacre.
No ceremony was planned at the site a short distance from the school. It has become a custom in Newtown on anniversaries and remembrances of the shooting to mark them with reflection.
A small but steady stream of people visited the memorial Sunday.
“It just takes your breath away,” Nora Smith, of nearby Monroe, said. “It’s something that you hold close to your heart because
you feel so bad for these families.”
Flower bouquets floated counterclockwise in the water feature, which is surrounded by a cobblestone walkway and a few
benches.
The new school, built after the former one was torn down on the same property, can be seen through the woods now that the leaves have fallen.
Some victims’ relatives were given a private tour Saturday.
“I think they deserve not to have the bright lights of the world on them,” said Newtown First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, the town’s top elected official.
The memorial was designed as a place of contemplation. Paths lead to a water feature with a sycamore tree in the middle and the victims’ names engraved on the top of a supporting wall. The water flow was engineered so floatable candles, flowers and other objects will move toward the tree and circle around it.
Town voters approved $3.7 million for the cost of the memorial last year. Part of the cost was offset when the State Bond Commission approved giving the town $2.5 million for the project.