Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened

On December 14th, 2012, 20 year old Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people at an elementary school. Before doing so, he shot and killed his mother, Nancy Lanza, at their home in Newtown, Connecticut. He then took a semi-automatic AR-15 assault rifle and two pistols which belonged to his mother (“Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened”). Once he arrived, the doors to Sandy Hook elementary school were locked due to a new security system which locked the doors at 9:30 am each day. Authorities say he used “assault weapon” to shoot an entrance into the building (“Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened”). Attracted by the sounds of gunshots, principle Dawn Hochsprung, vice principle Natalie Hammond, and school psychologist, Mary Sherlach, went to find out what was going on. Lanza shot all three women, but only Hammond survived. Lanza then made his way to the kindergarten and first grade classrooms. In one classroom, he shot and killed substitute teacher, Lauren Rousseau, and all 14 students. In the next classroom, Lanza shot and killed first grade teacher Victoria Soto and 6 of her students(“Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting: What Happened”). Adam Lanza also killed a special Ed teacher, Anne Marie Murphy and teacher aide Rachel D'avino (Dolak). Each victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds. When Lanza heard first …show more content…
Given that, one could look at the actions of Adam Lanza and determine that something was off with his blood chemistry. Maybe his undiagnosed anorexia contributed to the off balance of homeostasis within his body which caused his thinking to be corrupt. This off balance could have messed with his hormones making dark, twisted thoughts seem okay and the impulse to be destructive stronger. He eventually acted upon this impulse leading to the massacre. His Aspergers also helped with the draw to violence that Adam had because he couldn't feel pain the way a person needs