Worldwide shock at Conn. school shooting that claimed 28 lives, The gunman who massacred 26 children and adults at a U.S. school forced his way in, police said Saturday, as a stunned world asked how a 20-year-old described as brilliant but remote would have been driven to such a crime and how he chose his victims, some as young as 5.
Witnesses said the gunman, Adam Lanza, didn't say a word as he burst into a classroom, shooting, and later killed himself. Connecticut state police Lt. Paul Vance said investigators had found "very good evidence" and hoped it would answer questions about the gunman's motives. Vance would not elaborate.
The bodies of victims were still inside the school for some time Saturday morning, and authorities appeared poised to start releasing their names.
The mass shooting was one of the deadliest in U.S. history, and among school attacks it was second only to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, which left 33 people dead. Reaction was swift and emotional around the world, any many immediately thought of Dunblane — a 1996 shooting in that small Scottish town which killed 16 children and prompted a campaign that ultimately led to tighter gun controls.
Infographic: Connecticut mass shooting
President Barack Obama's comments on the tragedy were one of the most outwardly emotional moments of his presidency.
"The majority of those who died were children — beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," Obama said Friday at a White House news briefing. He paused for several seconds to keep his composure and wiped an eye. Nearby, two aides cried and held hands.
Related: How to talk to your kids about Conn. mass shooting
In tight-knit Newtown, a picturesque New England community of 27,000 people, hundreds of people packed St. Rose of Lima church Friday night and stood outside in a vigil for the 28 dead — 20 children and six adults at the school, the gunman's mother at home, and the gunman himself, who killed himself. People held hands, lit candles and sang "Silent Night."
"These 20 children were just beautiful, beautiful children," Monsignor Robert Weiss said. "These 20 children lit up this community better than all these Christmas lights we have. ... There are a lot brighter stars up there tonight because of these kids."
Related: Hundreds pack Conn. church for vigil after rampage
Lanza is believed to have suffered from a personality disorder and lived with his mother, said a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation.
Lanza shot his mother, Nancy Lanza, drove to the school in her car and shot up two classrooms around 9:30 a.m. Friday, law enforcement officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A custodian ran through the halls, warning of a gunman, and someone switched on the intercom, perhaps saving many lives by letting them hear the chaos in the school office, a teacher said. Teachers locked their doors and ordered children to huddle in a corner or hide in closets as shots echoed through the building.
The well-liked principal, Dawn Hochsprung, was among the dead. A woman who worked at the school was wounded.
Related: Principal among victims in Conn. shooting rampage
Adam Lanza attended Newtown High School, and several news clippings from recent years mention his name among the honor roll students.
At least one parent said Lanza's mother was a substitute teacher there. But her name did not appear on a staff list. And the official said investigators were unable to establish any connection so far between her and the school.
Lanza's older brother, 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was questioned, but a law enforcement official said he was not believed to have had a role in the rampage. Investigators were searching his computers and phone records, but he told law enforcement he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the unfolding investigation.
At one point, a law enforcement official mistakenly identified the gunman as Ryan Lanza. Brett Wilshe, a friend of Ryan Lanza's, said Lanza told him the gunman may have had his identification. Ryan Lanza apparently posted Facebook page updates Friday afternoon that read, "It wasn't me" and "I was at work."
A law enforcement official said a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols, and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle were found in the school and a fourth weapon was found outside the school, and that investigators were going to shooting ranges and gun stores to see if Lanza had frequented them
The official was not authorized to discuss information with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Adam Lanza and his mother lived in a well-to-do part of prosperous Newtown, about 60 miles northeast of New York City, where neighbors are doctors or hold white-collar positions at companies such as General Electric, Pepsi and IBM.
Lanza's parents filed for divorce in 2008, according to court records. His father, Peter Lanza, lives in Stamford, Conn., and works as a tax director for General Electric.
The gunman's aunt Marsha Lanza said her nephew was raised by kind, nurturing parents who would not have hesitated to seek mental help for him if he needed it.
"Nancy wasn't one to deny reality," Marsha Lanza said, adding her husband had seen Adam as recently as June and recalled nothing out of the ordinary.
Catherine Urso, of Newtown, said her college-age son knew the killer and remembered him for his alternative style. "He just said he was very thin, very remote and was one of the goths," she said.
Joshua Milas, who graduated from Newtown High in 2009 and belonged to the school technology club with him, said Adam Lanza was generally a happy person but that he hadn't seen him in a few years.
"We would hang out, and he was a good kid. He was smart," Joshua Milas said. "He was probably one of the smartest kids I know. He was probably a genius."
Related: Conn. gunman recalled as intelligent but remote
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was not clear that Adam Lanza had a job, and there was no indication of law enforcement interviews or search warrants at a place of business.
Related: Conn. school shooting reopens debate over gun laws
Meanwhile, a long-simmering national debate on gun control exploded again.
Frank DeAngelis, principal of Colorado's Columbine High School, where a massacre in 1999 killed 15 people, said that "these senseless deaths" have to stop.
In Washington, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence organized a vigil at the White House, with some protesters chanting, "Today IS the day" to take steps to curb gun violence. In New York's Times Square, a few dozen people held tea lights in plastic cups, with one woman holding a sign that read: "Take a moment and candle to remember the victims of the Newtown shooting."
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the attack as a "senseless and incomprehensible act of evil."
In China, which has seen several knife rampages at schools in recent years, the attack quickly consumed public discussion.
Panicked parents had raced earlier in the day to Sandy Hook, where police told youngsters to close their eyes as they were led from the building so that they wouldn't see the blood and broken glass.
Schoolchildren — some crying, many looking frightened — were escorted through a parking lot in a line, hands on one another's shoulders.
Robert Licata said his 6-year-old son was in class when the gunman burst in and shot the teacher. "That's when my son grabbed a bunch of his friends and ran out the door," he said. "He was very brave. He waited for his friends."
He said the shooter didn't utter a word.
Kaitlin Roig, a teacher at the school, said she implored her students to be quiet.
"I told them we had to be absolutely quiet. Because I was just so afraid if he did come in, then he would hear us and just start shooting the door. I said we have to be absolutely quiet. And I said there are bad guys out there now and we need to wait for the good guys to come get us out," Roig told ABC News.
"If they started crying, I would take their face and say it's going to be OK. Show me your smile," she said. "They said, we want to go home for Christmas. Yes, yeah. I just want to hug my mom, things like that, that were just heartbreaking."
Witnesses said the gunman, Adam Lanza, didn't say a word as he burst into a classroom, shooting, and later killed himself. Connecticut state police Lt. Paul Vance said investigators had found "very good evidence" and hoped it would answer questions about the gunman's motives. Vance would not elaborate.
The bodies of victims were still inside the school for some time Saturday morning, and authorities appeared poised to start releasing their names.
The mass shooting was one of the deadliest in U.S. history, and among school attacks it was second only to the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, which left 33 people dead. Reaction was swift and emotional around the world, any many immediately thought of Dunblane — a 1996 shooting in that small Scottish town which killed 16 children and prompted a campaign that ultimately led to tighter gun controls.
Infographic: Connecticut mass shooting
President Barack Obama's comments on the tragedy were one of the most outwardly emotional moments of his presidency.
"The majority of those who died were children — beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," Obama said Friday at a White House news briefing. He paused for several seconds to keep his composure and wiped an eye. Nearby, two aides cried and held hands.
Related: How to talk to your kids about Conn. mass shooting
In tight-knit Newtown, a picturesque New England community of 27,000 people, hundreds of people packed St. Rose of Lima church Friday night and stood outside in a vigil for the 28 dead — 20 children and six adults at the school, the gunman's mother at home, and the gunman himself, who killed himself. People held hands, lit candles and sang "Silent Night."
"These 20 children were just beautiful, beautiful children," Monsignor Robert Weiss said. "These 20 children lit up this community better than all these Christmas lights we have. ... There are a lot brighter stars up there tonight because of these kids."
Related: Hundreds pack Conn. church for vigil after rampage
Lanza is believed to have suffered from a personality disorder and lived with his mother, said a law enforcement official who was briefed on the investigation.
Lanza shot his mother, Nancy Lanza, drove to the school in her car and shot up two classrooms around 9:30 a.m. Friday, law enforcement officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A custodian ran through the halls, warning of a gunman, and someone switched on the intercom, perhaps saving many lives by letting them hear the chaos in the school office, a teacher said. Teachers locked their doors and ordered children to huddle in a corner or hide in closets as shots echoed through the building.
The well-liked principal, Dawn Hochsprung, was among the dead. A woman who worked at the school was wounded.
Related: Principal among victims in Conn. shooting rampage
Adam Lanza attended Newtown High School, and several news clippings from recent years mention his name among the honor roll students.
At least one parent said Lanza's mother was a substitute teacher there. But her name did not appear on a staff list. And the official said investigators were unable to establish any connection so far between her and the school.
Lanza's older brother, 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was questioned, but a law enforcement official said he was not believed to have had a role in the rampage. Investigators were searching his computers and phone records, but he told law enforcement he had not been in touch with his brother since about 2010.
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the unfolding investigation.
At one point, a law enforcement official mistakenly identified the gunman as Ryan Lanza. Brett Wilshe, a friend of Ryan Lanza's, said Lanza told him the gunman may have had his identification. Ryan Lanza apparently posted Facebook page updates Friday afternoon that read, "It wasn't me" and "I was at work."
A law enforcement official said a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols, and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle were found in the school and a fourth weapon was found outside the school, and that investigators were going to shooting ranges and gun stores to see if Lanza had frequented them
The official was not authorized to discuss information with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Adam Lanza and his mother lived in a well-to-do part of prosperous Newtown, about 60 miles northeast of New York City, where neighbors are doctors or hold white-collar positions at companies such as General Electric, Pepsi and IBM.
Lanza's parents filed for divorce in 2008, according to court records. His father, Peter Lanza, lives in Stamford, Conn., and works as a tax director for General Electric.
The gunman's aunt Marsha Lanza said her nephew was raised by kind, nurturing parents who would not have hesitated to seek mental help for him if he needed it.
"Nancy wasn't one to deny reality," Marsha Lanza said, adding her husband had seen Adam as recently as June and recalled nothing out of the ordinary.
Catherine Urso, of Newtown, said her college-age son knew the killer and remembered him for his alternative style. "He just said he was very thin, very remote and was one of the goths," she said.
Joshua Milas, who graduated from Newtown High in 2009 and belonged to the school technology club with him, said Adam Lanza was generally a happy person but that he hadn't seen him in a few years.
"We would hang out, and he was a good kid. He was smart," Joshua Milas said. "He was probably one of the smartest kids I know. He was probably a genius."
Related: Conn. gunman recalled as intelligent but remote
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was not clear that Adam Lanza had a job, and there was no indication of law enforcement interviews or search warrants at a place of business.
Related: Conn. school shooting reopens debate over gun laws
Meanwhile, a long-simmering national debate on gun control exploded again.
Frank DeAngelis, principal of Colorado's Columbine High School, where a massacre in 1999 killed 15 people, said that "these senseless deaths" have to stop.
In Washington, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence organized a vigil at the White House, with some protesters chanting, "Today IS the day" to take steps to curb gun violence. In New York's Times Square, a few dozen people held tea lights in plastic cups, with one woman holding a sign that read: "Take a moment and candle to remember the victims of the Newtown shooting."
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the attack as a "senseless and incomprehensible act of evil."
In China, which has seen several knife rampages at schools in recent years, the attack quickly consumed public discussion.
Panicked parents had raced earlier in the day to Sandy Hook, where police told youngsters to close their eyes as they were led from the building so that they wouldn't see the blood and broken glass.
Schoolchildren — some crying, many looking frightened — were escorted through a parking lot in a line, hands on one another's shoulders.
Robert Licata said his 6-year-old son was in class when the gunman burst in and shot the teacher. "That's when my son grabbed a bunch of his friends and ran out the door," he said. "He was very brave. He waited for his friends."
He said the shooter didn't utter a word.
Kaitlin Roig, a teacher at the school, said she implored her students to be quiet.
"I told them we had to be absolutely quiet. Because I was just so afraid if he did come in, then he would hear us and just start shooting the door. I said we have to be absolutely quiet. And I said there are bad guys out there now and we need to wait for the good guys to come get us out," Roig told ABC News.
"If they started crying, I would take their face and say it's going to be OK. Show me your smile," she said. "They said, we want to go home for Christmas. Yes, yeah. I just want to hug my mom, things like that, that were just heartbreaking."
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