A shooting rampage at an elementary school in Connecticut has left at least 27 people dead, including the shooter.
News reports have identified the shooter as Adam Lanza, 20, of Hoboken, N.J., reportedly the son of a kindergarten teacher who was also shot and killed in the incident. Students in the classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., were also among the victims.
A total of 20 students and seven adults are reportedly among the dead.
An unidentified relative was found dead at a home in Newtown.
In a statement, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell referenced the state’s own “painful memories of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech in 2007,” when a mass shooting took the lives of 33.
“Those memories will never fade, and we continue to grieve for all those lost on that April day. We are all too aware of the impact that events like this can have on a community. If there is anything Virginia can do to assist Governor Malloy and the citizens of Connecticut, we stand ready to do so,” McDonnell said.
Sen.-elect Tim Kaine said in a statement that “words fail to express the profound sadness I feel for the families of those who were lost and those who will carry the scars of this tragedy.”
“Our Commonwealth knows too well the pain of senseless gun violence. Like all Virginians, Anne and I offer our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt condolences to the community of Newtown,” Kaine said.
Valley residents also responded to the horrible news on Facebook.
“I am going to squeeze Cooper so tightly when he comes through that door. He won’t know what is going on but I am going to hold on for a while this evening,” said Misty Leitch Grenz of Stuarts Draft.
“This is one of those days when you can’t wait for your kids to get home off the school bus so you can smother them with a big hug. My prayers go out to all of those families involved in the Connecticut shooting,” said Julie Crone of Waynesboro.
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